If you have trouble sleeping, perhaps this could be why?
The smarty pants at Northwestern found that sleeping with just a LITTLE bit light is bad for us . . . and it doesn’t take much.
Here is how the researchers came up with their data. While the participants slept, the researchers recorded their heart rate and breathing, hooked them up to an EKG, and watched their brainwave activity. The researchers also had their participants hooked up to an I.V. to draw blood while they slept. With all of that going on, I find it super impressive that they fell asleep at all.
Everyone in study slept in the dark the first night. Then some slept with a dim overhead light on the second night. It was about as bright as a streetlight coming through your window.
The researchers found that when ANY lights are on, your heart rate climbs, and it raises your blood sugar. Both are BAD, because an elevated heart rate at night has been linked to heart disease and early death. And high blood sugar can lead to diabetes. Yikes!
The smarty pants at Northwestern were surprised at how even a tiny bit of light made a difference. Only about 5% of light makes it through when our eyelids are closed. But the study even talks about how light from a TV could cause problems.
The lead author says that to make sure you get a good night’s rest, you should turn off all the lights, close your curtains, and think about using a sleep mask.
So if you’ve been struggling with getting a good night’s rest, this may be why.