If you want to stay slim, turn off your phone, TV and lights before bed.
Once again, scientists have discovered a link between light exposure during sleep and obesity.
The ultimate, purely observational evidence doesn’t prove that bright lights make you fat with your eyes closed. But the evidence that night light causes weight gain is growing rapidly.
Scholars recommend that people wear masks, put blackout curtains on windows, and turn off appliances at night.
And people who need light, such as the elderly, should only use a dim light near the ground.
Researchers at Northwestern University in Illinois have discovered a link between light exposure during sleep and obesity.
People with a BMI greater than 30, defined as obesity, are at increased risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
About a quarter of adults in the UK are obese, but data show the prevalence in the United States to be close to 40%.
In their study, published in the journal SLEEP, researchers from Northwestern University in Illinois followed 552 people ages 63 to 84.
Although the study only looked at older people, previous research has shown similar effects in younger generations.
Neuroscientist Dr Minjee Kim, author of the study, said: “We live among a multitude of artificial light sources available 24 hours a day, whether it’s from your smartphone, leaving the TV on at night, or light pollution in a big city.
His co-author, a sleep medicine specialist, Dr. “It’s important for people to avoid or minimize the amount of light while they sleep,” said Phyllis Zee.
All volunteers were asked to monitor their exposure to light, even at night, for a week.
Less than half had a continuous five-hour dark period, to the shock of researchers.
Dr. Kim and her colleagues then tested whether the participants were obese, had diabetes, or had high blood pressure to find a link.
The results showed that 40.7% of people exposed to light during the five-hour period were obese, compared to 26.7% in the no-light group.
Approximately 17.8% of the light-exposed group had diabetes, which is twice that of the other cohort (9.8%). A similar difference was found between the groups in terms of the degree of hypertension.
The differences were significant when considering other potential risk factors.
The study was observational, meaning the team could not prove that light exposure causes obesity, diabetes, or hypertension.
However, experts think that falling asleep with the light on may confuse the biological clock. This can disrupt hormone levels, a ripple effect that causes people to crave more food.
But other experts have said the Kindle and iPad light is much dimmer at dawn than at daylight. They say the problem stems from the increased mental alertness required to use the devices.
They said more research is needed to prove the long-term effects of looking at a screen at night on weight gain and related conditions.
Source: Daily Mail
I am Anne Johnson and I work as an author at the Fashion Vibes. My main area of expertise is beauty related news, but I also have experience in covering other types of stories like entertainment, lifestyle, and health topics. With my years of experience in writing for various publications, I have built strong relationships with many industry insiders. My passion for journalism has enabled me to stay on top of the latest trends and changes in the world of beauty.
