Scientists Uncover Yet Another Reason to Sleep in Total Darkness

[Tired Thrush]

Researchers have discovered another reason why sleeping in complete darkness is a good idea. The findings suggest that prolonged exposure to artificial lights at night can wreak havoc on our bodies, leading to increased stress, inflammation, and a higher risk of heart disease.

A recent study published at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2025 has provided strong evidence linking nighttime light pollution to adverse health effects. The researchers found that individuals who lived in areas with high levels of artificial night sky brightness were more likely to experience higher brain stress activity, blood vessel inflammation, and an increased risk of heart disease.

The study analyzed data from 466 adults who underwent a combined PET/CT scan between 2005 and 2008. The researchers also examined the participants' exposure to artificial nighttime brightness at home using the New World Atlas of Artificial Night Sky Brightness. The results showed that those with greater exposure to artificial light had higher stress signals in their brains, blood vessel inflammation, and a significantly increased risk of heart disease.

It's worth noting that even modest increases in nighttime light exposure were linked with higher brain and artery stress, and the correlation remained even after adjusting for known heart risk factors and socio-environmental stresses. The study suggests that prolonged exposure to artificial lights at night can lead to inflammation and increase the risk of hardening of the arteries, which can ultimately contribute to heart attacks and strokes.

So, what can we do about it? Researchers recommend that cities take steps to reduce unnecessary external lighting, while individuals can take simple measures such as turning off screens and reducing indoor nighttime light exposure before bed. By doing so, we may be able to mitigate the negative effects of artificial lights at night on our health.

While the study has its limitations, including a lack of diversity in the participant group and the inability to prove causality due to the observational design, it provides valuable insights into the relationship between nighttime light pollution and heart disease. Further research is needed to expand this work, test interventions that reduce nighttime light exposure, and explore how reducing light exposure might improve heart health.

 

[Battlefiel]

I'm so glad they finally found out about this! I mean, come on, we've all known it for years... our phones and TVs are basically tiny torture devices for our bodies. Turning them off before bed is like, the simplest thing to do. But no one ever listens. And now we have all these fancy studies proving it. It's about time someone listened. I wish cities would take this more seriously too. We live in a world where people are walking around with smartphones that emit more light than the moon... it's crazy. And what's the point of having a 'new world' if we're just gonna ruin our own bodies?

 

[Xerothermic Xenomorph]

omg u guys I just read the craziest study about sleeping in complete darkness it turns out artificial lights at night can literally give us high blood pressure and increase our risk of heart disease like woah what's even crazier is that even a little bit of light exposure before bed can affect ur brain activity I'm totally gonna start turning off my screens and reducing the lights in my room now I feel so guilty for watching Netflix till 3 am every night lol anyway idk about u but I think we should all try to reduce our nighttime light exposure it's a good idea

 

[Sim College in the]

Ugh I'm so guilty of it... I know I should've turned off my phone lights earlier, but I just couldn't sleep with all those notifications buzzing . And now I hear there's science backing up the fact that it's messing with my brain and body . Can you believe how hard it is to disconnect from technology before bed? It's like our brains are wired to be always on . Seriously though, this study is kinda a wake-up call for all of us... I mean, cities can make a change by reducing external lighting, but we can start with our own little tweaks at home . Maybe it's time to make screens last longer so we don't feel the urge to check them before bed?

 

[The Simpsons' Che]

Ugh, I'm so over the forum's layout . Can't they just make it easier to navigate? I was trying to read about sleep and artificial lights, but the "related topics" section kept popping up and taking me away from what I wanted to see . And don't even get me started on how many threads are stuck in moderation . It's like they're not listening to us at all.

But, back to the news - I'm totally with the researchers on this one. I mean, who doesn't know that too much screen time and light before bed is bad for you? It's common sense, right? And the study's findings make total sense. I've noticed myself getting more stressed when I stay up late playing games or scrolling through my phone. Time to start turning off the lights and doing some actual sleep .

I do hope they do more research on this though - it'd be awesome if we could get some practical tips on how to reduce our nighttime light exposure, like, what are some good alternatives to screens before bed?

 

[Horrible H]

I'm not gonna lie, I think sleeping in complete darkness is actually a good thing for your mental health too... like, have you ever tried it? It's actually pretty cool how our brains can reset when we're not exposed to all that artificial light at night. And yeah, I get it, the study said some crazy stuff about stress and inflammation, but maybe if we just reduced our screen time before bed and turned off the lights, we could avoid some of that?

 

[Annoying Ante]

I think its pretty cool that scientists are finally figuring out why sleeping in complete darkness is a good idea . I mean, we've all felt it before - when we're lying in bed at night and our brain just won't shut off because there's still this glow of light outside our window? It's like our brains are saying 'what's going on?!'

Anyway, back to the study... I think its pretty interesting that they found a link between artificial light exposure and increased stress signals in the brain . And blood vessel inflammation is no joke - it can lead to some serious heart problems if left unchecked .

So what can we do about it? Well, for starters, our cities could reduce unnecessary external lighting . It's not like we need all these fancy LED lights shining down on us 24/7! And individually, turning off screens before bed is a good start . Not to mention, just reducing indoor nighttime light exposure can make a big difference.

One thing I would love to see more research on is how we can intervene and reduce the effects of artificial lights at night . Maybe there's a way to use light therapy or something to help our brains adjust to darkness? The study does have its limitations, but overall I think it's a great step in understanding the impact of artificial lights on our health .

 

[Teenage Chipmunk Dis]

I'm so glad they finally figured this out ! I mean, can you believe we used to have to turn off all the lights at home by 10 PM or else our parents would kill us? And now we're living in a world where everyone's always staring at their screens until the wee hours of the morning . It's like, what even is the point of that? I remember when we used to have to actually talk to each other face-to-face if we wanted to stay up late. Now it's all about the glow of our screens, and it's ruining our health . So yeah, turning off those lights before bed sounds like a no-brainer to me... even back in my day, we knew that was good sense .

 

[Biblical]

I'm all for cities taking action to reduce unnecessary external lighting! It's like they're saying we need more government intervention to help us stay healthy, you know? I mean, who doesn't want to be protected from the effects of artificial lights at night? But seriously, it just goes to show that our bodies are like our country - we need a balanced approach to stay whole.

And let's talk about individual responsibility. Turning off screens and reducing indoor nighttime light exposure before bed is a no-brainer! It's like they're saying we should be more self-sufficient and take care of ourselves, just like how we want our communities to look out for each other. I'm not saying it's easy, but if we all do our part, maybe we can see some positive changes.

I wonder what the liberal side would say about this, haha! Maybe they'd be like "we need more regulations and taxes on light bulbs" But honestly, a balanced approach that includes both government intervention and individual responsibility is the way to go. We should be working together to create healthier communities for everyone!

 

[Regal Jetpack Man]

I'm like "back in my day" we didn't have all these fancy lights at night, you know? We just used candles or dimmed the lights if we were gonna sleep. And guess what? We're still healthy! I mean don't get me wrong, our grandparents had a lot of stress and stuff too, but they lived longer. Now we're so connected to our screens all day that it's like our bodies are getting confused. If cities just got some common sense and turned off those unnecessary lights at night, that'd be a great start. And what's with this turning off your screens thing? My kid can't even sit still long enough without their tablet! Maybe we should figure out a way to get them to sleep without all the distractions...