Turn off the lights while sleeping, good or bad?

Some of you may prefer to sleep in the light, some may only fall asleep when the room is dark. So, is turning off the lights while sleeping better than not doing it?

The answer is when the lights are off. Yes, sleeping in the dark can make you get better sleep quality. A key factor in regulating sleep and your body's biological clock is exposure to light.

Why turn off the light while sleeping?

Light can be used as a reference for your body's biological clock. Why? Because the light received by the eye is not only to help the eye see, but also can give signals to the body that indicate certain times for the body.

The eyes can provide secondary functions, such as responding to light and resetting your body's cycle clock. The light exposure stimulates the flow of nerve cells from the eye to part of the brain. It controls hormones, body temperature, and other functions that play a role in making you feel sleepy.

When the eyes are exposed to light between morning and evening, it blocks nerve cells and suppresses the release of the hormone melatonin, which helps you fall asleep.

This may be the reason why your body's cycle clock tells you when to sleep at night, not during the day when a lot of light is being received by your eyes.

When you sleep with the lights on, your brain may not produce the hormone melatonin because it is confused about whether it is night or day.

Too much exposure to light just before you sleep can also prevent you from getting good quality sleep. So, it's best to turn off your lights before going to bed to signal your body that it's time for bed. Adjusting light exposure is an effective way to maintain your cycle cycle.

What to do before bed?

Before you go to sleep, it's best to turn off the lights in your room. In addition, electronic devices in your room, such as television, computer, laptop, or cellphone , should also be turned off. This is because these electronic devices also produce light.

If you have a window in your room, it's best to close your blinds so that light from outside doesn't enter the room and disturb your sleep. You can also use sleeping glasses to make you sleep better.

If you can't sleep in very dark conditions, it's a good idea to turn on your light sleeper, which produces a more subtle light.

Your body can be programmed to sleep when it's dark, so you can more easily encourage your body to sleep. Furthermore, when you wake up in the middle of the night, you should also not turn on your lights, it is feared that you can no longer sleep.

What are the consequences of not turning off the lights while sleeping?

Sleeping with the lights on can cause health problems. This health problem may occur because exposure to light during sleep can have an impact on disruption of hormones in the body. Some of the diseases that can be caused by sleeping in bright conditions are:

• Obesity. Published research American Journal of Epidemiology , showing that women who sleep in brighter rooms tend to have a higher Body Mass Index (BMI). In addition, their waist circumference was greater than that of women who slept in dark room conditions.
• Depression. Research in Journal of Affective Disorders indicates that depressed people have brighter lights in their bedroom when they sleep. Sleep disturbances or poor sleep quality caused by lights on can be linked to depression.
• Breast cancer. Research by International Journal of Health Geographics found that the incidence of breast cancer was higher in women living in areas with high levels of urban development, the number of lights on roads, shopping centers, and homes.
• Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Research published by the journal Chronobiology International found that people with diabetes get brighter light exposure for four hours before going to bed. This light exposure includes those obtained from television and cellphone , because these electronic devices have been shown to suppress the hormone melatonin more than other light sources.
• Insomnia. Turning on the light while sleeping can make the quality and quantity of sleep worse. Light can lower the levels of melatonin your body produces, which can make you feel less sleepy and make it difficult to sleep.
• High blood pressure. Research in the journal Chronobiology International shows that people who get a lot of light exposure while sleeping have higher blood pressure than those who sleep in dark conditions.