Even though Eskom does its best to negate these ‘profound physiological effects’, light from a myriad of sources all around our home still manages to affect our sleep, and as a result our health and mental acuity.
According to research, even relatively faint light can have hectic effects on our sleeping brains, including elevating heart rates, shortening the duration of crucial sleep stages, and increasing insulin resistance. Obesity, diabetes, and hypertension were also shown to be more common in older people who slept with a light on.
Unlike many other threats to our cognitive function, like too much screentime, the answer to overcoming this light interference is relatively simple, and if you’re a frequent flyer, you likely have the tools in your go-bag.
Sleep plays an essential role in many physiological functions including immune control, energy conservation, homeostatic restoration, and memory processing
Wearing an eye mask to sleep is “very basic and simple,” said Viviana Greco, who conducted a study on the topic as a neuroscience and psychology graduate student at Cardiff University, and now works at Neuronatch, a neuroscience nonprofit. “At the same time, it can have huge benefits.”
“Light at night is telling the brain ‘danger, danger,’ because the brain isn’t expecting it. This may rev up the brain’s autonomic ‘fight-or-flight’ system, which could make it harder to go into deep sleep”, said Phyllis Zee, a neurologist and director of the Center for Circadian and Sleep Medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.
Adding to the effect of night-time light is our unavoidable habit of working indoors during the day. Natural light during the day helps the brain maintain a healthy rhythm, improving sleep.
Several studies have shown that simply covering the eyes at night can make a difference.
According to research conducted mostly with hospital patients who were attempting to sleep with the blinking lights and whirring sounds of medical equipment, wearing an eye mask (and ear plugs) ‘enhanced subjective sleep quality’. Another study discovered that wearing an eye mask could help pregnant women sleep better and for longer periods than pregnant women who were simply given a pamphlet on better sleep.
Adding credence to this is the latest study published in the journal Sleep, which proves that “wearing an eye mask at night could improve memory and alertness in the morning'”
Overall, this study shows that an eye mask to block the light is a practical solution for those who may not be able to sleep in a dark environment, such as if you have children, night lights or streetlights.
In addition to using a mask, the study also noted that there are other steps we could take to get a cognitive boost, such as making sure we spend time in natural light a.k.a. sunlight, removing electronic devices with blinking lights from your bedroom, or simply getting proper blackout curtains.
We could all do with better sleep, and a little improved cognitive function sounds good too.
[source:washingtonpost]
