By Oluwatosin Maliki
Some people enjoy sleeping with their lights on because it makes them feel safe and they can also monitor what’s going on around them.
Although, they are unaware that such a habit can cause several issues to their health.
However, a darkroom creates a suitable environment for sleeping.
One important question to ask yourself, is how often do you fall asleep with the lights?
You might have fallen asleep while watching TV, forgotten to turn off the lights because you were too tired, or dozed off while working on your laptop. No matter the reason, you are not alone, as it is estimated that nearly half of all adults sleep with some kind of light on.
Here are five reasons why you should avoid sleeping with the lights on.
1. It Causes Hormonal Imbalance
Did you know that at night, the pineal gland in your brain, produces a hormone called melatonin.
Melatonin is important because it regulates as well as synchronizes your body’s circadian rhythm, which is more commonly known as your normal sleep-wake cycle.
Also, this hormone is also responsible for other vital bodily functions such as blood pressure regulation, reproduction, and preventing inflammation.
However, research has shown that sleeping with the light on disrupts the body’s melatonin production.
A research conducted by Dr. Joshua Gooley of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School studied 116 volunteers, aged 18 to 30, and exposed them to room light and dim light for eight hours before sleeping for five consecutive days. Results showed that exposure light definitely shortened the production of melatonin by an average of 90 minutes.
It also revealed that light exposure cuts off melatonin by more than 50 per cent.
2. It Increases Blood Pressure
Since melatonin also regulates your blood pressure, the decrease in melatonin caused by unnecessary exposure to light during sleeptime can raise your blood pressure.
Research conducted by Chronobiology International determined that people who were exposed to excessive amounts of light at night had significantly higher blood pressure than people who slept in the dark.
3. It Triggers Migraines
Do you like using gadgets before sleeping or watching TV in bed? If so, you should stop it immediately.
Electronics such as smartphones, laptops, tablets, and televisions emit blue light that can trigger migraines.
Blue light causes oxidative stress, which in simple terms means your body’s ability to flush out toxins is severely hampered. This leads to migraines, eye strain, and in worst case scenarios, even blindness.
Another thing that can make the migraines worse is lack of sleep. As previously mentioned, being exposed to too much light at night interferes with your natural sleep-wake cycle, which makes you wake up earlier than you intended, thereby causing a bad headache.
4. It Increases the Chance Of Insomnia
There is no doubt that sleeping with the lights on has an adverse effect on your health. Over time, the issues that arise from exposure to light at night can degenerate into sleep disorders such as insomnia.
This is how it can happen, when your body has low melatonin, your sleep quality suffers. You don’t feel well-rested because you find yourself waking up in the middle of the night, not just once but numerous times.
The lack of adequate rest can cause you to get migraines as soon as you wake up in the morning. Sooner or later, a pattern like this will develop into insomnia.
5. It Leads To Depression
Also, when you lack good sleep for quite a while, it’s not only your physical state that suffers, but your mental state as well.
Several studies have proven the direct correlation between insomnia and depression, and the worst part is that it’s often a vicious cycle.