Sleeping with light on linked to higher risk of heart disease and diabetes

[Amity Island]

I do remember reading an article many, years ago that said leaving the light on at night helped reduce retinopathy as the light keeps the retina oxygenated. Did anybody else read that?
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Sleeping with the light on might scare away monsters under the bed, but it could be linked to an increased risk of heart disease and diabetes, research suggests.

Light is an important signal by which the body’s internal clock, which governs a host of biological processes from temperature to hormone release, is synchronised to the external cycle of day and night.


A number of studies have revealed, however, that keeping the lights on at night could be problematic. Among them, research has suggested it is associated with obesity in women and type 2 diabetes among elderly people, while a recent study from researchers in the Netherlands suggested bright daytime lighting and low light at night could help people with pre-diabetes control their blood sugar levels.

Now researchers in the US say they have found that people who are exposed to artificial light at night show worse glucose and cardiovascular regulation compared with those who slumbered in the dark, something they suggest is down to the body being kept more alert.

“We found that light – even [a] modest amount – increases activation of the autonomic nervous system, which we postulate increased heart rate and decreased insulin sensitivity,” said Dr Phyllis Zee, co-author of the study from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Sleeping with light on linked to higher risk of heart disease and diabetes

Exposure to artificial light at night worsens glucose and cardiovascular regulation, research suggests

www.theguardian.com

 

[Inka]

I think it was a special light for the retinopathy? I can’t remember. I hate any light when I’m sleeping and wear an eye mask for maximum darkness.

This reminds me of the study about working night shifts being linked to Type 2.

 

[mikeyB]

You should read Why We Sleep, by Matthew Walker. That explains everything you need to know about how vital sleep is for a healthy life, and how loss of REM sleep can affect you severely. Both Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan prided themselves on just 4 hours of sleep a night. Both ended up demented.

After depriving any sleep from a person for more than 2 weeks will probably kill them. That's about the limit. They just die, with no diagnosable reason. So if anyone tells you they haven't slept for a month, it's not true.

 

[Amity Island]

I think it was a special light for the retinopathy? I can’t remember. I hate any light when I’m sleeping and wear an eye mask for maximum darkness.

This reminds me of the study about working night shifts being linked to Type 2.

As a bare minimum, to have the chance of a good nights sleep, it's got to be all of these three things:

1. Cool
2. Dark
3. Quiet

Plus a quiet mind

Also worth knowing that a vitamin d deficiency is well established to prevent good sleep.

 

[mikeyB]

As a bare minimum, to have the chance of a good nights sleep, it's got to be all of these three things:

1. Cool
2. Dark
3. Quiet

Plus a quiet mind

Also worth knowing that a vitamin d deficiency is well established to prevent good sleep.

You forgot to add:

4. No alcohol in the afternoon or evening.
5. No caffeine (in tea, coffee, Coke or IrnBru) after 3.00pm
6. No sleeping tablets or liquid.

The reason for all these is all have a global effect on the brain. Alcohol and sleeping tablets generally depress all brain fundtions, so you won’t dream and it depresses the hypothalamic gateway, so memories aren’t stored during sleep. Caffeine also has a global effect on the brain, precluding your quiet mind.

 

[Eddy Edson]

You forgot to add:

4. No alcohol in the afternoon or evening.
5. No caffeine (in tea, coffee, Coke or IrnBru) after 3.00pm
6. No sleeping tablets or liquid.

The reason for all these is all have a global effect on the brain. Alcohol and sleeping tablets generally depress all brain fundtions, so you won’t dream and it depresses the hypothalamic gateway, so memories aren’t stored during sleep. Caffeine also has a global effect on the brain, precluding your quiet mind.

Also:

7. No frikkn mosquitoes!

Last night spent fending off invading mozzies, one after the other. They refute the notion of a beneficent God.

 

[nonethewiser]

No light, dark as possible, have blackout curtains in bedroom, always sleep well $ usually in bed by 10 up around 6.30

Subject of sleep & dreams fascinates me, agree with Mike about book being fantastic read & so informative about why we sleep & why it's important in so many aspects of health & wellbeing.