It is said that it is not easy for a person to do anything when he grows up, except to gain weight.
Eating too much will make you gain weight, exercising less will make you gain weight, staying up late at night will make you gain weight, and stress will make you gain weight, but sometimes you may gain weight even if you sleep well?
What the hell is going on here?
Back in 2019, the National Institutes of Health conducted a study on artificial lighting in nighttime sleep environments and published the results in JAMA Internal Medicine.
The researchers took the data of 43,222 women, combined their respective age, height, employment status, sleep time, history of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular cancer, etc., and then measured their weight and height. , arm circumference and body mass index.
Data shows that women who fall asleep exposed to artificial light are more likely to be obese and have higher rates of obesity than those who sleep in the dark.
According to changes in BMI, the risk of becoming overweight (BMI ≥ 25) increased by 22% and the risk of becoming obese (BMI ≥ 30) was increased by 33%.
Why does turning on the lights while sleeping cause obesity?
In fact, when the light is turned on to sleep, people also feel the pressure of light during sleep due to the stimulation of light.
Therefore, it affects the normal metabolic function of the human body, including the normal physiological and biochemical reactions in the body, and even makes the heartbeat, pulse, and blood pressure of the human body abnormal, leading to disease.
Nocturnal exposure to artificial light inhibits the body’s production of melatonin during sleep, affects the body’s 24-hour circadian rhythm, and may disrupt stress hormones and other metabolic processes, thereby increasing health risks such as obesity.
In addition, light may also affect sleep quality, increase appetite hormones and cause people to unknowingly consume higher calories.
Therefore, it is important to sleep in complete darkness, you can draw the curtains, turn off all lights, and even wear an eye patch to get dark during sleep.
What should I pay attention to while sleeping?
First, change the light to a sensor light
Actually, the light does not have to be on all the time, and it does not have to be accompanied by a light after falling asleep. It can be replaced with a sensor light. Even if you get up in the middle of the night, the light will turn on with the induction, which not only ensures a sense of security, but also does not affect the light problem of sleeping at night.
Second, ensure a quiet and comfortable sleeping environment
Sleep quality also has a very important impact on physical development. The presence of noise will affect the quality of sleep at night, and may even cause problems such as inability to fall asleep and being woken up in the middle of the night.
So the room should pay attention to sound insulation, avoid the existence of loud noise, and sleep in a quieter environment without being disturbed.
Third, ensure adequate sleep time
Under normal circumstances, at least 6-8 hours of sleep is required every day as a guarantee, but now many people do not have enough sleep time, which is mainly related to the impact of daily routines.The problem of staying up late to sleep is not conducive to ensuring adequate sleep time.
Fourth, develop the habit of going to bed early and getting up early
In terms of sleep, it is necessary not only to ensure adequate sleep time, but also to have a good routine. Going to bed early and getting up early is a very good habit.
Being able to go to bed before 10 pm and get up at 7 am is more conducive to improving sleep quality and helping the body grow. Therefore, it is recommended to turn off the lights when going to bed at night, try to keep the sleeping environment as quiet as possible, and avoid bad stimulation of the senses by the external environment.
Before going to bed, try not to play with your phone
The blue light emitted by electronic devices at night also affects the secretion of melatonin in the human body.
Therefore, to avoid such problems, it is best to remove or turn off electronic devices in time before going to bed, avoid watching bright screens 2-3 hours before going to bed, or turning off the phone while sleeping Keep them away from your head, at least out of reach of your hands.
But what if you are afraid of the dark?
For those who are afraid to turn off the lights to sleep, choose some dim and soft lights, yellowish or reddish.
The color of the light is dim and will not have a great impact on the body. And the soft light can soothe the mind and body and help improve sleep.
Remember not to choose white, white light is more irritating to the eyes and affects rest. At the same time, maintaining a good environment, keeping the room quiet, and small mood swings before going to bed will help improve sleep quality and make your body healthier.
References:
【1】Park YMM, et al, Association of exposure to artificial light at night while sleeping with risk of obesity in women, JAMA Intern Med. 2019 Jun 10.
【2】BogdanLewczuk, et al. Influence of electric, magnetic, and electromagnetic fields on the circadian system: current stage of knowledge. Biomed Res Int. 2014;2014:169459.