Research has found that exposure to room light compared to dim light for the eight hours before bedtime reduces the body's production of melatonin - a hormone vital for sleep. The authors concluded that regularly keeping on room lights in the hours before bedtime delays the start of melatonin release and reduces its duration as the body thinks night is shorter than what it really is - leading to less sleep. As melatonin has been found to be involved in a number of regulatory processes, the authors suggest that the reduction in melatonin production not only affects sleep but also regulation of body temperature, blood pressure, and blood glucose. So, for the sake of good sleep, as well as it being good for the environment and your power bill, turn the lights off!
Ref: Joshua J. Gooley, Kyle Chamberlain, Kurt A. Smith, Sat Bir S. Khalsa, Shantha M. W. Rajaratnam, Eliza Van Reen, Jamie M. Zeitzer, Charles A. Czeisler, and Steven W. Lockley 2011, Exposure to Room Light before Bedtime Suppresses Melatonin Onset and Shortens Melatonin Duration in Humans (abstract only), J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2011 96 (3): E463-E472 , doi:10.1210/jc.2010-2098
If you have trouble sleeping, Naturopathic Health Care can help.
