Sleeping with the light on can harm your night's sleep

It can be both an accidental and intentional thing, sleeping with the light on. Some just aren't fans of the dark, whereas others collapse onto the bed after a busy day, neglecting to adjust their surroundings. Whatever the reason behind leaving the light on, it could be hindering your snoozing ability, a new study has shown. Reuters has reported on a South Korean study that shows even a low level of light could have an interfering effect on your night's sleep. The preliminary studies showed that over two nights in a controlled sleeping environment, the ten participants did react to the presence and absence of light. The scientist evaluating the study, Michael Gorman, commented to Reuters Health: "We know light at night increases alertness when awake, but I reviewed this literature a few years ago and was stunned to find out that no one had ever compared sleep in dark versus light in humans." The science behind the well-known adage is now being proven, as when the participants were subjected to a lit sleep on the second study night, it was recorded that they didn't get into the deep sleep, known as stage three and four. They remained in stage one, and as such didn't have as beneficial a night's sleep as they possibly could have. Extended loss of deep sleep could bring potential health issues, though. "Chronic poor quality of sleep is detrimental both to mental and physical function and to health," it was stated. So, maybe turn that light off before you jump into bed tonight. It perhaps won't make a huge difference to your sleep, but it's all about experimenting with what works best for you to ensure a well-rested night. Sleeping with the light on can harm your night's sleep