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In addition, there was a 22% chance of becoming overweight and 33% chance of becoming obese, she added.
"We are in the midst of an epidemic of obesity in the United States and it is difficult for people to think about what we usually think for the prevention of obesity: eat better, exercise – and we do not seem to be making a dent, "said Sandler. "If the findings of this study are true and if they can be replicated, then it's a very easy public health message: turn off the lights when you sleep."
The study included analysis of data for 43,722 women aged 35 to 74 in the United States.
The sleep patterns reported by women were categorized into four categories: no light, small nightlight in the room, light outside the room and light or television in the room.
Women who reported more than one type of artificial light were ranked at the highest exposure level. Women who slept with a mask or did not report any light while sleeping were classified as not exposed to artificial light.
The researchers looked closely at each woman's sleep patterns and her risk of weight and obesity over a five-year period.
Among the women, the researchers found that sleeping with a TV or a lit light in the room was associated with a weight gain of 5 kg or more, an increase of BMI of at least 10% and at a higher risk of being overweight or obese, compared to exposure to no artificial light during sleep.
"There was a response to the dose, in that the association was strong, the stronger the association," said Sandler.
The study had some limitations, including the fact that only one association was observed in the data, and not a cause-and-effect relationship. Further research is needed to determine whether sleeping with lit lights could actually lead to weight gain.
"Another limitation is that our data is based on self-assessments," said Sandler. Data on exposure to artificial light during sleep and weight gain were self-reported, and women were not asked why they kept the light on while they slept.
"As the authors mention, you can not speak directly of causality between exposure to the light of a bedroom at night for a sleeping individual and weight gain, but I think that this It's really a step in that direction, "he said. "This indicates that we must respect our sleep and respect our sleep means to ideally make a sleep environment devoid of any kind of light."
"We know that late-night light will delay our body clocks, and we have learned from experimental studies in people that light at night affects our metabolism in ways that are consistent with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome," he said. he declares. "These new findings will not change the advice of maintaining good sleep hygiene and avoiding bright, electronic distractions in the bedroom, but they add even more force to the case for this board. "
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