Why you can't sleep well with the light on

At night you have to sleep in the darkPopular wisdom has always considered this rule as a commandment, but now we discover that science is able to explain and demonstrate why we should sleep with our artificial light (which is different from sleeping in natural light) can be harmful to our bodies.

A group of researchers, coordinated by Phyllis Zee, of Northwestern University, has listed the damages of sleeping with light in a research published in Pnas. It all starts with the sympathetic nervous system, which manages involuntary reactions and should be at complete rest during the night. Artificial light, which can come from thepollution bright of the cities, From electronic devices that are always on, from a lamp in the bedroom that is not turned off, excites the sympathetic nervous system. And with this, some problems can arise: the heartbeat accelerates, the metabolism of sugar It short-circuits and increases insulin resistance upon awakening. This leads to risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease. diabetes or metabolic problems. The study was conducted on a sample of twenty people who slept, for a single night, in a room lit with just 100 lux, a very moderate level of light.

Sleeping in the dark, however, is beneficial for other reasons as well. Very simply, darkness promotes the secretion of melatonin, The sleep hormone that helps you fall asleep and avoid frequent awakenings during the night. Sleeping in the dark relaxes your eyes, which have surely become tired during the day, and protects during the sonno. And when you sleep in the dark, it's easier to clear your head and harder to ruminate: two parallel paths leading to the same goal. A good night's sleep.

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