Do you sleep with the lights on or off? Perhaps with a lamp or dim light? According to a new study, even extremely modest levels of light exposure before bedtime can significantly inhibit the generation of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin, interfering with sleep.
What can you read in this article?
- How light affects sleep
- Side effects of sleeping with lights on
- Importance of sleep for students
It appears that young children are particularly vulnerable to the physiological effects of light at night, with some children being more sensitive than others.
How light affects sleep
This study, conducted by the University of Colorado entitled, “Even dim light before bedtime may disrupt a preschooler’s sleep,” says that the primary time cue for the body is light, which influences circadian rhythms. The circadian rhythms then control everything from feeling sleepy or hungry to our body temperature throughout the day.
When light strikes the retina, a signal is sent to the suprachiasmatic nucleus, a portion of the brain that regulates body rhythms, including the creation of melatonin at night.
When this exposure occurs in the evening, and when melatonin levels usually rise, it might inhibit or stop the body's capacity to transition into biological nighttime.
Even if you do fall asleep in your bedroom with the lights on, you may not receive adequate rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. The other stage of sleep is non-REM, which encompasses light sleep and deep sleep.
While light sleep is vital, you won't enjoy the full advantages of a good night's sleep if you don't spend enough time in the other two sleep stages. Each cycle requires your brain to devote roughly 90 minutes at a time.
Because children's pupils are larger and their lenses are more translucent than adults, light enters their eyes more freely.
What you can do as a parent
This does not imply that parents should turn off the nightlight and leave their children in complete darkness before bedtime. However, when half of children and teens use screen media before bed, the study serves as a warning to all parents to turn off the gadgets and keep light to a minimum to help their children develop appropriate sleep patterns.
Why is it so crucial for your child to get enough sleep? Read more for side effects of sleeping with lights on and effects of lack of sleep on child development.
Side effects of sleeping with lights on
When your brain is exposed to light while sleeping, it is more challenging to reach more profound sleep. The brain activity that allows you to reach deeper stages of sleep is severely influenced by the more shallow or light sleep you have at night.
Moreover, aside from side effects in your brain functions, Healthline also enumerated other side effects of sleeping with lights on:
1. Depression
Depression has been connected to sleeping with the lights on. Electronic devices with blue light may have the most negative impact on your mood.
This can cause moodiness and irritation. At the same time, children who aren't getting enough sleep are more likely to become hyperactive.
2. Accidents
You will be less alert the next day if you do not get enough quality sleep. For example, if you're driving a car or other piece of machinery, this can be very risky.
3. Obesity
Obesity was shown to be more common in women who slept with television or light on, according to one study. Participants in the study were also 17% more likely to gain 11 pounds in a year.
What does the light get to do with obesity? Food intake could be one component of obesity caused by a lack of sleep. According to studies, the less sleep you get, the more food you're likely to eat the next day. This can impact the timing of your meals as well, as eating late at night can lead to weight gain.
4. Increased risk of chronic illnesses
Whether or whether not you are obese, if the light continues to interfere with your sleepover time, you may be at an elevated risk of certain chronic conditions. High blood pressure (hypertension), heart disease, and type 2 diabetes are among them.
5. It triggers migraines
Blue light induces oxidative stress, which means your body's capacity to eliminate pollutants is inhibited significantly. Migraines, eye strain, and, in the worst-case scenario, blindness can all result from this.
Lack of sleep is another factor that might aggravate migraines. Too much light at night disrupts your natural sleep-wake cycle, forcing you to wake up sooner than you anticipated, thus causing a severe headache.
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6. It increases the chance of insomnia
Your sleep quality diminishes when your body's melatonin levels are low. You're not getting enough sleep because you keep waking up in the middle of the night, not just once, but several times. A routine like this will eventually turn into sleeplessness.
Importance of sleep for students
As a student, getting enough sleep may be impossible with all the activities and school work you have to do. But sleep can actually help you reach your goals better as well as save you from long-term side effects that may crucially affect your health.
Getting enough sleep has the following benefits:
- rejuvenate your mind and body
- enable your muscles to recover
- combating diseases and chronic disorders
- put you in a more positive frame of mind
- assisting children in their development
Effects of lack of sleep on child development
In an article by Healthline, doctors have linked lack of sleep on child development troubles.
According to Lynelle Schneeberg, assistant professor at Yale School of Medicine and director of the behavioral sleep program at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, sleep-deprived children exhibit more behavioral issues, academic difficulties, health issues, risk-taking behaviors, and anxiety and mood disorders.
Moreover, obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, irregular heartbeat, and diabetes can all be exacerbated by a child's lack of sleep, says, Jessica Brown, a board-certified expert in pediatric sleep medicine at Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health in Louisiana.
The most significant and perhaps most critical must be the link to lack of sleep and teen self-harm and suicide risk as cited by Susan Malone, a senior research scientist at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing in New York.
She told Healthline, “High school students sleeping less than 6 hours were more than three times as likely to report considering suicide, making a suicide attempt plan, or attempting suicide than high school students sleeping 8 hours or more.”
What if I can only sleep with the lights on?
Can’t sleep in the dark? Have a roommate who prefers sleeping with the lights on? Often sleeping with the TV on? If your answer to any of these questions is a YES, here are tips on how you can improve your sleep quality.
- Gradually introduce yourself into sleeping with the lights off. Perhaps starting with sleeping with dimmed lights until you get used to the setup.
- Keep gadgets and other electronics outside of the bedroom.
- Stop using your gadgets at least 30 minutes before sleeping.
- Every night, go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time.
- Exercise in the morning or afternoon, not in the evening. Or avoid any rigorous activity an hour before bedtime.
- Instead of using gadgets, you can read a book or meditate to prepare yourself to sleep.
- Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and big meals in the evening.
- Create a comfortable sleeping space for yourself. Invest in a good mattress, beddings, and pillows. Keep a cool temperature in your room.
Consult your doctor
If you think your sleep quality is compromised and you need medical help, don’t hesitate to consult your doctor about ways you can improve your sleep and save yourself from the side effects of sleeping with lights on.