Too much light at night and insufficient light during the day can increase the risk of death

Modern lifestyles can disrupt the natural light cycle and lead to health problems and premature death.

“Exposure to light nights and dark days can disrupt circadian rhythms,” said Sean Cain, sleep researcher and lead author of the study. “This impairment leads to a variety of health problems, including diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, mental health problems and an increased risk of death,” he said.

The circadian rhythm is our body's biological clock that adapts to the natural light-dark cycle. A disruption in this rhythm can be due to harmful exposure to light due to our lifestyle habits.

Strong night light increases the risk of death by up to 34 percent

Researchers analyzed a week of data from light sensors worn by 88,905 people in a British health database and followed these people for about eight years. The findings are as follows:

Exposure to strong light at night increases the risk of death by 21 to 34 percent.

Exposure to strong light during the day reduces the risk of death by 17 to 34 percent.

Although research does not prove a direct cause-and-effect relationship, it does conclude that light cycles are strongly linked to health and mortality.

Maintain your light pattern

Daniel Windred, one of the study's authors, emphasized that maintaining light patterns is crucial, particularly in environments where circadian rhythms and risk of death are sensitive, such as intensive care units or aged care facilities.

In the study, the link between the strength and regularity of participants' circadian rhythms and mortality rates was also supported by computer modeling. These findings reinforce the view that disruption of the body's natural flow causes serious illness and leads to premature death.

A simple but effective solution

The good news is that fixing this problem is fairly easy and inexpensive. More daylight and limiting artificial light at night can improve both health and lifespan.

“Avoiding nighttime light and seeking daylight can promote health and longevity,” says sleep researcher Andrew Phillips. “This proposal is a simple, accessible and economical solution,” he said.