Exposure To Light While Sleeping May Affect Cardiovascular Health

Exposure to light at night while sleeping can hamper transitions between sleep cycles and potentially affect the quality of sleep. A recent study has found that exposure to light while sleeping may be associated with an increased prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in mature adults.

Participants in the study included 552 adults with an average age of 73. They wore an actigraph for seven days that measured sleep quality and exposure to light while sleeping. They were also evaluated for cardiovascular risk factors.

Approximately 53% of the participants had some light in the room while sleeping, usually from a television, computer, or light from outside. Participants who had exposure to light while sleeping for 5 hours or more had a higher prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure. They also had higher incidence of wake after sleep onset.

The study was conducted by researchers from Northwestern University. It was published online ahead of print on June 2, 2022 in the journal Sleep.

In a previous study, moderate light during sleep was found to have negative health effects in people in their 20’s.