What? Turning on the light to sleep at night can also lead to obesity!

I am Zhou Qian, Chief Neurosurgeon, Xiangya Second Hospital, Central South University, Doctor of Neurosurgery, Master of Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy.

He is also a visiting scholar at UCLA Reagan Hospital in the United States and Fellow, University of Helsinki Central Hospital in Finland.

We often feel that we get fat because we eat too much and move too little. In fact, the causes that may lead to obesity go far beyond diet and exercise, and there are many other details that deserve our attention.

For example, some people who often say that they [get fat after drinking cold water] may have something to do with endocrine.

However, a recent JAMA sub-issue published an article on research related to living habits and obesity. A large-scale study of more than 40,000 women showed that:Turning on the light to sleep at night may lead to obesity in women!

Yes, turning on the light to sleep will not only affect your eyesight, but also affect your body.

Although some girls are afraid of the dark when they sleep and turn on the lights, this will increase the risk of obesity over time.

Before we go to bed, melatonin secretion will increase our desire to fall asleep. If we turn on the light and stay up late, and the mobile phone and computer will have a blue screen, these will increase the time to receive light at night. Previous studies have shown that night light may have a direct impact on melatonin signal transduction, sleep interruption and circadian rhythm.

Is frequent fatigue related to circadian rhythm

Long ago, when our ancestors did not have candles, lights and other lighting tools, they mostly worked at sunrise and rested at sunset.

Now, despite the rapid development of modern science and technology, one thing has not changed:Every 24 hours, the sun rises and sets.I have to admit that many physiological functions of human beings, animals and even plants are closely related to this cycle of natural phenomena.

However, what we call circadian rhythm is to link the rise and fall of the sun and the fall of the moon outside with hormones, enzymes and neurotransmitters in the human body.

Circadian rhythm, also known as biological clock, refers to the change of life activities in a cycle of about 24 hours. It controls our awakening and sleep cycles and regulates hormones and neurotransmitters in the human body, thus affecting our emotions, motivation, body fat, metabolism, cell regulation and energy level.

If we compare our body to a complex and precise instrument that runs at high speed, then circadian rhythm is not only a remote control for us to sleep and wake up, but also a key link in determining whether we are healthy, vulnerable to diseases, fat or thin, tired or energetic.

Turning on the light to sleep at night increases the risk of obesity in women.

Previous studies on night light and obesity have been rare. But on June 10, 2019, the National Institutes of Health published a large-scale study of 43,222 women.

Researchers studied the obesity and weight gain of women exposed to artificial light at night through measurement of weight, height, waist circumference, hip circumference and body mass index (BMI) and follow-up for up to five years.The statistical results show that:

In the 43,722 women, exposure to artificial light during sleep was positively associated with an increase in obesity. Moreover, compared with non-exposure to artificial light during sleep, turning on the TV or lights in the room during sleep was associated with a weight gain of 5 kg or more, a BMI increase of 10% or more, and sudden obesity or overweight in the observed women.

In short, turning on the lights to sleep at night may lead to obesity in women, and turning off the lights before going to bed can reduce the risk of obesity in women.

How to adjust our circadian rhythm

Try to remove or turn off the electronic equipment before going to bed.

Blue light emitted by electronic devices at night may affect our circadian rhythm through melatonin. In addition, some studies also show that electromagnetic fields around electronic devices may have potential negative effects on circadian rhythm.

So the best way to avoid these problems is to throw away your electronic equipment before going to bed. You can try the following:

  1. Avoid looking at bright screens 2-3 hours before going to bed;

  2. When sleeping, try to reduce the electronic equipment in the bedroom;

  3. When sleeping, keep your mobile phones away from your head. If you don’t want to do this, at least put them out of your hands.

Sleep in complete darkness

Light is a very strong signal, which will wake up your brain. Similarly, the light emitted by street lamps, night lights and electronic devices will affect your sleep depth and quality.

Therefore, it is very important to sleep in a completely dark environment. You can draw curtains, turn off all lights, and even wear blindfolds during sleep to get a completely dark environment.

In the women who have already borne the heavy pressure of life and have some sedentary and snack-loving habits, turning off the lights while sleeping is your last front to prevent obesity!

Of course, it is not only turning off the lights, but also some details that we often ignore are often a key link that leads to our failure to lose weight.For example, an Australian study said:83% of overweight or obese people are affected by emotional eating. Think about whether we often have this kind of situation and cannot help eating when we are unhappy or under great pressure.

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-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] Blue light has a dark side. Harvard Health Letter. Updated: August 13, 2018Published: May, 2012

[3] BogdanLewczuk, et al. Influence of electric, magnetic, andelectromagnetic fields on the circadian system: current stage of knowledge. Biomed Res Int. 2014; 2014: 169459.

[4] Sam Ikin, Emotional eating fuelling Australia’s obesity epidimic, psychologist says.

Editor KK