According to a study, exposure to light during sleep can cause our blood sugar to become out of balance.
In previous studies, it was found that people who are exposed to any artificial light during sleep (such as television light, light in the room, or light from outside the room) are more likely to be overweight or to have type 2 diabetes than those who do not. However, no definitive results could be obtained in the study.
Researchers from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago have investigated this hypothesis in a pilot study. The findings corroborate previous research.
SourceWhen we are exposed to light while sleeping, our blood sugar balance can be thrown off
Twenty healthy participants ranging in age from 21 to 32 years old took part in the study. Before the study, which lasted two nights and three days, the participants were allocated to one of two groups: the experimental group or the control group. The control group slept in dark rooms for eight hours on both the first and second nights of the study.
The experimental group was allowed to sleep for eight hours in dark rooms on the first night, and on the second night, they were allowed to sleep for eight hours in rooms that were illuminated to a specific degree. This level of illumination was provided by the light bouncing off the walls of the room from the television, bedside lamp, or strong street lights that remained on throughout the night. Aside from that, all of the individuals had foods with the same calorie and nutritional value at each meal, and none of them engaged in any physical activity.
Every morning during the study, the participants' insulin resistance levels were measured in their blood samples. Those who were exposed to light during the second night's sleep had increased insulin resistance the following morning when compared to those who were not exposed to light the previous night. Those who slept in the dark both nights had blood sugar levels that were nearly the same the next day. Those who slept in a light-filled room had a higher heart rate than those who slept in the dark, according to the study.
Researchers believe that exposure to light during sleep has a negative impact on the body's ability to regulate blood sugar levels. Because of this, it is recommended that you sleep in a dark room at nighttime. Furthermore, they assert that more research is required to determine whether light exposure during sleep has long-term repercussions on cardiovascular and metabolic diseases (cardiometabolic diseases).
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