Skip the night lights, get black out curtains: Everyone, no matter what your age, should sleep in total darkness for the best mental health
04/07/2018 / By Jessica Dolores
For years, scientists have linked depression to mental, emotional, and psychological factors. They attributed depression to problems with family and friends, too much stress, certain medications and alcohol. However, a new study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology points to a different culprit: that tiny nighttime light in the bedroom.
Researchers studied almost 900 elderly people in Japan for two years and evaluated them for signs of depression. The scientists also tested the elderly subjects’ sleep/wake patterns throughout the night. They factored in weight, illness history, smoking/drinking habits, income and medications. After two years, researchers found that those who were exposed to over five “lux†of light per night ended up more depressed. One lux is equal to light from a candle located a meter away; Five lux is equal to the amount of light you get from a street lamp entering a darkened bedroom window.
https://www.health.news/2018-04-07-black-out-curtains-everyone-should-sleep-in-total-darkness-for-best-mental-health.html
