When a person is tired or just really sleepy, even bright lighting will not prevent him from falling asleep. Often people fall asleep and sleep all night watching TV or with a night light. Sometimes even psychologists recommend their clients who are afraid of the dark to leave the light on all night. However, doctors do not advise doing this. Not only will the light turn on greatly worsen the quality of sleep, but it can also negatively affect a person's health. For example, sleeping with the light on can cause the development of cardiovascular and other life-threatening diseases.
Sleeping with the lights on is more harmful than you can imagine. Photo source: factchecknet.uz
Contents
- 1 Why light affects human sleep
- 2 What happens if you sleep with the light on
- 3 What kind of light can disrupt sleep
- 4 How to ensure healthy sleep
Why light affects human sleep
At night, when it is time for a person to go to bed, the pineal gland, or pineal gland, begins to produce melatonin, which is also called the sleep hormone. It is known that this hormone normalizes blood pressure, lowers body temperature, affects glucose levels, slows down all processes in the body and, of course, ensures good sleep.
Melatonin is produced by evolution when it gets dark. This is one of the reasons why people want to sleep when it rains and it gets dark outside. But while the light is shining, the hormone is not produced or is produced in small quantities so that a person stays alert.
When there is light, a person stops producing melatonin. Photo source: ferra.ru
If the room is light, even when a person closes their eyes, the light still penetrates through the eyelids. As a result, instead of melatonin, another hormone is produced – serotonin. It is a signal to the body that it is time to wake up. In other words, light disrupts the functioning of the pineal gland. This not only makes it difficult to fall asleep, but also worsens its quality – sleep becomes superficial. In addition, other adverse effects arise.
What happens if you sleep with the light on
Since light prevents the pineal gland from producing melatonin in sufficient quantities, a person cannot go into rest mode. That is, the pulse and body temperature do not decrease, and all other body systems continue to work the same way as when awake. This increases the risk of metabolic disorders, the development of cardiovascular disorders, depression, etc.
According to some studies, scientists have found that sleeping in complete darkness reduces the risk of cancer by 22%. For example, women who sleep with the light on are more likely to get breast cancer, and men are more likely to get skin cancer. In addition, as mentioned above, light greatly reduces the quality of sleep, which also leads to a number of serious consequences. According to one study, people who are exposed to light sleep 10 minutes less per night than those who sleep in complete darkness.
People who sleep with the light on often feel “broken” in the morning. Photo source: www.sb.by
It would seem that 10 minutes is very little and is unlikely to have a significant impact on a person's well-being. However, as the above-mentioned study showed, people who slept with the light on woke up confused at night, reported fatigue more often in the morning, and also experienced excessive sleepiness and impaired functioning during the day.
As we already discussed in the article about the consequences of prolonged lack of sleep, if the body has not rested properly, it begins to require more energy. As a result, a person experiences an increased appetite. There is a desire to consume more sweets and carbohydrates. Together with metabolic disorders, this leads to rapid weight gain.
What kind of light can disrupt sleep
Even people who don't want to sleep in complete darkness usually don't leave bright lights on. But can a night light or, for example, a TV on harm your sleep? According to research by scientists, even street lighting can significantly worsen the quality of sleep. Therefore, you shouldn't think that the dim light of a night light or even an alarm clock won't harm your health.
Even street lighting can disrupt your sleep. Photo source: kartinki.pibig.info
The situation is even worse with blue light, which is emitted by TV screens and some types of lamps. Therefore, it is necessary to fall asleep in complete darkness, even if you feel uncomfortable in the dark.
How to ensure healthy sleep
Experts recommend removing any light sources from the bedroom. For example, if you have an alarm clock with an LED display on your nightstand, it is better to cover it with something. To prevent street light from disturbing you, you need to hang thick curtains on the windows.
If you can't avoid sleeping with the lights on, use a special mask. Photo source: chipgifts.ru
Night lights can only be used in hallways and bathrooms. But even in this case, when choosing a night light, you need to pay attention to the color of the lamp – it should not be blue. The same applies to the lamps that you use before going to bed – they should not shine with “daylight”.
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There are times when it is impossible to ensure darkness during sleep. In this case, experts recommend wearing a sleep mask that tightly covers the eyes. For example, a mask is necessary for people who have to sleep during the day due to shift work. This way you can protect yourself from many health problems.