Light pollution: the sleep spoiler

Having trouble sleeping at night? Your neighbourhood street lights may be to blame! Light pollution from street lamps may be interfering with the sleep patterns and health of millions of people who live in urban areas, according to new research.

‘Our world has become a 247 society. We use outdoor lighting, such a street lights, to be more active at night and to increase our safety and security,’ said study author Maurice Ohayon, from Stanford University in California. ‘The concern is that we have reduced our exposure to darkness and it could be affecting our sleep,’ said Ohayon.

For the study, 15,863 people were interviewed over an eightyear period.

It was found that people living in more intense light areas were 6% more likely to sleep less than six hours.