Strong light sources, such as a TV or a bright night light, can increase your risks of weight gain, experts say.
This conclusion was made by researchers from the National Institute for Environmental Studies in North Carolina (USA), reports the Daily Mail.
Scientists, as a result of an experiment in which 44,000 American women from 35 to 74 years old took part in 5 years, found that falling asleep with the lights on knocks down the biological clock in people, which can lead to obesity.
The study showed that those women who sat for a long time in the evenings under artificial lighting (whether it be light from a computer or a floor lamp) gained 17% more weight than those who tried to follow natural rhythms and excluded additional light sources in the evenings.
The fact is that by leaving the light on overnight, we artificially prolong the body's wakefulness regime, reducing the production of melatonin, a hormone that affects long and healthy sleep, and thus giving the body a signal about additional food intake, scientists say.
In order not to disturb the natural rhythms, experts advise not to look at bright screens 2-3 hours before bedtime. If your work falls on night shifts or you are forced to use electronic devices in the evening, researchers advise using special glasses that filter out the blue light emanating from screens.
/ VOSTOCK