Obesity linked to bright light at night
A recent study says that obesity in people or population increases in places where artificial lights are on all night compared to places where people live in darkness after the sun sets.
The contribution of artificial lights at night to excessive weight in men and women is about as much as eating junk food.
The artificial lights encourage people to often end up eating at times when metabolic processes is slow. Although it isn’t yet certain how lights from gadgets like smartphones, tablets and TVs might influence how much weight people could gain, this research is a word of caution. One possibility is that artificial light might suppress the production of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate sleep cycles.
If we account for other variables like eating habits and exercise levels, it is estimated that night time light might lead to up to about 73 per cent of the variation in rates of excess weight and obesity in women and up to 68 per cent in men.
The study also links excessive weight to the use of tiny screens and other sources of light in bedrooms at night. It is thus, important to maintain a regular sleep schedule and avoid light exposure at night.
While sleeping make sure the lights are off, and if external light is bothering you draw the curtains.
