A recent research discovered that sleeping for one night under a faint light, such as from a Small tv with the audio turned off, increased the blood glucose and heartbeat of healthy young individuals partaking in a sleep laboratory experiment. Regardless of the fact that subjects rested with their eyes shut, the low light penetrated the eyelids and interrupted sleep.
At nighttime, the heart rate normally dips, slowing down while the brain works on mending and revitalizing the body. Multiple studies have shown that a higher heart rate at nighttime is a potential factor for developing heart disease and premature mortality.
Increased blood sugar levels are indeed an indication of insulin resistance, a condition in which the body stops utilizing glucose effectively, and the pancreas overcompensates by overwhelming the body with additional insulin until it finally loses the capacity to do so. Insulin resistance may progress to Type 2 diabetes over time.
The researchers enrolled twenty healthy adults in their twenties and made them spend 2 nights inside a sleep center. The very first day was spent in a dimly lit chamber where you could hardly notice anything with your eyes wide open.
A randomly selected section of the group slept in the laboratory with the very same light intensity for a second night, whereas another part rested with a faint overhead light emitting a radiance approximately comparable to that of a very, very gloomy, overcast day or street lamps streaming in via a window.
Nonetheless, even that little quantity of light resulted in a deficiency of slow-wave & rapid eye movement slumber, the sleeping phases during which the majority of cellular regeneration happens. Additionally, heart rate was increased, insulin resistance increased, and the fight or flight and rest as well as relax nerve systems were out of balance, which has been associated with increased blood pressure among healthy individuals.
The findings were published in the journal of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
