Avoiding This Thing Before Bed May Help You Burn More Fat, New Study Finds

© Provided by Eat This, Not That!
20-30 year old woman awake at night

Whether it’s checking email in the morning or watching TV before bed at night, our devices are an integral part of our daily lives, from the moment we wake up to the moment we fall asleep. Unfortunately, this can mean that we are doing ourselves a disservice in terms of not only our sleep patterns, but also our overall health and weight.

In a June 2021 study published in Scientific reports, a group of 10 adult men were exposed to a light-emitting diode (LED), organic light-emitting diode (OLED), or dim light four hours before falling asleep in a metabolic chamber, in which they were monitored by researchers.

The researchers found that the study subjects who had been exposed to LED light experienced a significant reduction in their ability to burn fat while they slept.

“Although no effect on sleep architecture was observed, energy expenditure and core body temperature during sleep were significantly reduced after exposure to OLED. In addition, fat oxidation during sleep was significantly lower after exposure to LED compared to OLED, “said Kumpei Tokuyama, Ph.D., professor in the School of Health and Sports Sciences at the University of Tsukuba and lead author of the study, in a statement.

© Provided by Eat This, Not That!
Young woman using tablet in bed

According to Tokuyama, this can mean that using your devices before bed can make it harder to lose weight, or even lead to weight gain over time. Although exposure to OLEDs compared to LEDs may have a lesser effect, the reduction in the energy expenditure during sleep of the study subjects was still large enough that it could lead to long-term physiological changes.

However, this is not the first time that artificial light has been linked to the potential for weight gain. According to a 2019 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, among a study population of 43,722 women aged 35 to 74, those who slept with a light or television on in their bedroom had higher obesity rates at the start of the study and were 17% more likely to ” gained 11 pounds or more after completing the study.

While the JAMA Internal Medicine study authors admitted the precise link between light exposure and weight gain was not clear from their research, other scientists have their theories: for example, a 2019 review research published in International Chronobiology found a link between blue light exposure and shorter REM sleep, which has been linked to weight gain.

So if you want to improve the quality of your sleep and improve your health along the way, try turning off those devices – and the lights – before you go to bed at night.

If you want to improve your sleep, start with these 7 Healthy Diet Changes That Help You Sleep, and for more healthy living information delivered to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Eat This, Not That!