Too-light Bedroom Increases Insulin Resistance?!

AnnPT77

OK, this seems crazy. And it's a tiny study. But what the heckin' heck?! Interesting.

Summary from the press release from Northwestern University:

Exposure to even moderate ambient lighting during nighttime sleep, compared to sleeping in a dimly lit room, harms your cardiovascular function during sleep and increases your insulin resistance the following morning, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study.

The study write-up:

https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2113290119

The press release:

https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2022/03/close-the-blinds-during-sleep-to-protect-your-health/

It's not that I'm suggesting this is important or correct, or that I believe the conclusions. I just thought it was strange, and interesting. Might be reasons to watch this research space? I'm posting in Debate because nothing else seems sensible.

claireychn074

Wow - I’ll read the study. I have read research in the past suggesting poor sleep impacts on insulin resistance and hunger, so I wonder whether that correlates with light at night? I.e. light wakes people up, leading to poor sleep, leading to hunger and poor food choices and insulin resistance 🤔

AnnPT77

claireychn074 wrote: »

Wow - I’ll read the study. I have read research in the past suggesting poor sleep impacts on insulin resistance and hunger, so I wonder whether that correlates with light at night? I.e. light wakes people up, leading to poor sleep, leading to hunger and poor food choices and insulin resistance 🤔

They footnote some other topically-adjacent studies that might be interesting in terms of what you mention, too. I haven't looked at those.

So far, I've only heard a news report (NPR) about this study, and skimmed through the linked paper/article. Seems to be saying that light at night has some effects even when some normal sleep quality markers aren't affected, i.e., it isn't necessarily things as simple as wake-ups. I need to dig into it more, though - read more carefully - because I may not be understanding accurately on a skim-through.

I didn't wait to post until I'd really parsed through it, which is maybe bad of me . . . but it was so interesting/surprising to me that I decided to share it, see what others thought, too.

Lietchi

Interesting. I'm wondering how it plays out long-term.

Every time I travel to Scandinavia, I'm astonished at their lack of proper curtains (I usually end up blocking windows with pillows, sheets, towels or even spare mattresses 😆). In the winter it's not an issue obviously, but in the summer with those short nights... If this study is true, there should be a big difference between summer and winter in Scandinavia, more IR and other issues during summer?

Gross generalisation probably regarding the curtains and zero medical knowledge on IR etc in Scandinavia, just some random musings 🙂

kshama2001

I prefer my room to be as dark as a crypt and have a blackout shade and TWO sets of blackout curtains on my one window. Last night I accidentally fell asleep with the light on and feel very sleep deprived today. As always when sleep deprived, I have the munchies. And all this carrot cake...

WailingDusk

It's the blue light from tv and phone screens before bed that causes a disruption in our sleep, since they say it mimics daytime light and disrupts our circadian rhythm, which in tern makes it harder to sleep, which can cause insulin resistance. I still have a hard time not looking at the TV or phone before bed. ><

AnnPT77

WailingDusk wrote: »

It's the blue light from tv and phone screens before bed that causes a disruption in our sleep, since they say it mimics daytime light and disrupts our circadian rhythm, which in tern makes it harder to sleep, which can cause insulin resistance. I still have a hard time not looking at the TV or phone before bed. ><

I don't think you read the study.