Exposure to light during the night may be detrimental to mental health, according to a study by researchers in Australia. — AFP Relaxnews
Scrolling on your phone or watching television late into the night could be harmful to your mental health, according to a study by Australian researchers.
More broadly, increased exposure to light at night might increase the risk of mental health conditions ranging from anxiety to bipolar disorder. Conversely, significant daytime light exposure may be beneficial in terms of mental health.
For several years, science has been tackling the issue of mental health head-on, attempting to shed light on new means and accessible strategies to alleviate the growing number of individuals affected by these disorders. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that nearly a billion people were living with a mental disorder in 2019, just before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Moreover, the WHO reports that depression and anxiety went up by more than 25% in the first year of the pandemic alone. This is an observation that the global health authority is not taking lightly, urging decision-makers to take action in favor of people's mental health.
According to the latest scientific research on the subject, it appears that certain simple and accessible practices could have a significant influence on people's mental health. For example, a new study has examined the role of light exposure, both at day and at night.
A team led by researchers from the Monash School of Psychological Sciences and the Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Australia, examined data from 86,772 participants from the UK Biobank, focusing on their exposure to light, their sleep, their physical activity and their mental health.
Published in the journal Nature Mental Health, the research reports that the risk of depression increased by 30% in people with high exposure to light at night. Conversely, this risk decreased by 20% in those exposed to large amounts of light during the day.
All of which highlights the “powerful influence” of daytime and nighttime light exposure on subjects' mental health. In a news release, the researchers explain that similar patterns of results were seen for other behaviours such as self-harm, psychosis, bipolar disorder, generalised anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, although without providing precise figures.
“Once people understand that their light exposure patterns have a powerful influence on their mental health, they can take some simple steps to optimise their wellbeing. It’s about getting bright light in the day and darkness at night,” explains study lead author, associate professor Sean Cain of Monash School of Psychological Sciences.
“Humans today challenge (our biological systems), spending around 90% of the day indoors under electric lighting which is too dim during the day and too bright at night compared to natural light and dark cycles. It is confusing our bodies and making us unwell.” – AFP Relaxnews
