In a new Flinders University study, professor Sean Cain and doctor Andrew Phillips have found the amount and timing of light we receive can significantly influence our risk of developing this chronic disease.Human rhythms have evolved with the sun’s bright light and the night’s pitch black. The health effects of these light-triggered rhythms are profound, they say.
Previous research has linked shift work and poor metabolic function. Cain adds that our metabolism is sensitive to rhythm disruption. They wondered what this meant for the broader public.The research is the largest-ever modelling study of the circadian rhythm. To confirm the data reflected regular light exposure, they tested a subset of participants multiple times, then followed up on the participants’ health outcomes an average of eight years later.
A typical phone screen is about 40 lux, adds Phillips, explaining that exposure to anything over 1 lux late at night increased the risk. The brighter the light, the higher the risk. “We’re indoors 90 per cent of our day and light indoors is just not bright enough,” says Cain, who has“Then light at night is quite bright, and it doesn’t take much light at night to have a negative impact on you.”If someone has to use night lights, the quality of the light matters. For the least biological disruption, dim the lights as much as possible for around three hours before bed, and if you need to turn one on, opt for orange or red light.
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