look news india
New Delhi: People who always work or study till late night keep the lights on in their room till late night. This habit may seem normal, but according to a new study, sleeping with the lights on at night can be dangerous for your health, especially increasing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. A recent study published in June 2024 revealed how a good night's sleep can affect your risk of diabetes.
The study, conducted by researchers at Flinders University in Australia, was published in The Lancet Regional Health-Europe journal. “We found that exposure to bright light at night increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes,” Dr. Andrew Phillips, the study’s lead author and an associate professor at the university’s College of Medicine and Public Health, said in a press release.
Dr. Andrew Phillips further added that exposure to light at night can disrupt our circadian rhythm, leading to changes in insulin secretion and glucose metabolism. This change affects the body's ability to control blood sugar levels, which can ultimately lead to the development of type 2 diabetes.
How was the research done?
To find out whether people exposed to light between 12.30 pm and 6 am had an increased risk of diabetes, researchers analysed information from nearly 85,000 people and 1.3 million hours of light sensor data. These participants did not have type 2 diabetes at the start of the study. Researchers tracked these participants to see who developed the disease and this monitoring continued for about nine years. This is believed to be the largest study of its kind to date.
expert opinion
Associate Professor Phillips said: “The results suggest that exposure to intense light at night increases the risk of developing diabetes and that there is a diet-dependent relationship between light exposure and risk. Our results suggest that reducing nighttime light exposure and keeping the sleeping environment dark could be a simple and inexpensive way to prevent diabetes.”