Dim light during sleep also affects the heart: research
Takedown the curtains and turn off all the lights before you go to bed because according to a new study, even a little light in the sleeping room is not good for your heart.
According to a study conducted at Northwestern University in the United States, soft light during night’s sleep is more harmful to your heart functions than sleeping in a dimly lit room. And the next morning your body’s insulin resistance increases.
The research, conducted at the university’s Feinberg School of Medicine, was published this month in the journal PNAS.
According to Dr. Fells Z, Chief of Sleep Medicine at the Feinberg School of Medicine: “The results of this study show that even a mild daytime light in a room during sleep can damage glucose and the cardiovascular system, which can damage the heart. Are risk factors for diabetes, diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
He said: “It is important for people to turn off the lights during sleep or to reduce them drastically.”
According to a press release issued by the university, there is already evidence that daylight increases heart rate by activating the nervous system, which increases the speed at which your heart works.
Research by Dr. Felis Zee shows that “light causes similar effects during nighttime sleep.”
That is, in a lighted room, the heart rate increases, and the body cannot rest properly. This is especially worrying because night is the time when the body is doing important things like rest and repair during sleep.
According to Dr. Daniela Grimaldi, co-author of the study and assistant professor of neurology research at Northwestern: “Even though you are asleep, your autonomic nervous system remains active. This is bad because, in general, your heart rate and other cardiovascular systems are less active at night and more active during the day. ‘
There are two different nervous systems working day and night to regulate the functions of our body: sympathetic during the day and parasympathetic at night. According to the study, dim and mild light can also increase the heart rate, which can disrupt the night’s functioning system. The researchers also found that when people slept in a lighted room, their bodies had a higher level of insulin resistance the next morning.
This is the process by which muscle, liver and fat cells cannot take advantage of the presence of insulin and cannot use blood glucose for energy. In response, the pancreas makes more insulin, and your blood glucose levels rise over time.
According to Dr. Felles Zee, a previous study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine examined many healthy people who slept in the light. He was overweight and obese.
“We are now looking at a mechanism that could be fundamental to explaining why this happens,” he said. Our research shows that this (sleeping in the light) is affecting your ability to regulate blood glucose.
Participants in the study were unaware of the biological changes in their bodies at night, but according to co-author Dr. Daniela Grimaldi, the brain senses it.
“It works like the brain of a person whose sleep is light and broken. The sleep system is not resting as it should.
The presence of artificial light at night during sleep is common, whether it is emitted from home appliances or from sources outside the home, especially in large urban areas.
According to research, a significant proportion, 40% of people sleep in a room with a bed, a lamp or a room with a light or TV running.
Dr Ivy Mason, another author of the study, said: ‘In addition to sleep, nutrition and exercise, daylight is an important factor in health, but we found that even a small amount of light at night can improve heart and endocrine health. It can make things worse. ‘
In this study, participants experienced the effects of sleeping at 100 lux (soft light) as compared to 3 lux (dim light) in one night.
Researchers have found that moderate light causes the body to go into an alert state called sympathetic activation. In this condition, as the heart rate increases, the heart contracts with more force and blood flows in the veins with more force.
According to Dr. Feliszi, these findings are especially important for those living in modern societies where there is an increase in indoor and outdoor lighting at night.
“If you can see things right, it means there is a lot of light [in the room],” he said.
How can sleep be improved?
- Do not turn on the light. If you need a light, keep it dim, close to the floor.
- Amber or red/orange light makes the brain less active. Do not use white or blue light and keep it away from the sleeping person.
- If you can’t control the light coming from outside the house, then blackout shades or eye masks are good. Move your bed so that no outside light falls on your face.
