Sleeping with TV on 'disrupts body clock'
Published: 13 May 2010
Falling asleep in front of the television could be causing people to lose sleep on their luxury bed linen, according to new research.
Both blue and green light can reset the body's internal clock by changing levels of melatonin - the chemical which controls sleep and wake patterns in the body, according to researchers at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in the US.The findings, published in the Science Translational Medicine journal, explain why people that fall asleep on their luxury bed linen while their television is on, could be confusing their body clock.
Light from other electronic devices that are left on, such as computers, digital clocks and even light from bedroom windows, could all be affecting sleeping patterns.
Commenting on the findings, senior study author Steven Lockley explained that the results could also be used to treat people that suffer from disruption to their body clock.
He said: "These findings have the potential to play an important treatment role for a number of disorders including circadian rhythm sleep disorders, seasonal affective disorder and dementia.
"They could also be applied to the use of light as a drowsiness countermeasure, particularly during night shift work."
Meanwhile, research carried out by scientists at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Lighting Research Center in March suggests that teenagers that do not get enough light exposure in the mornings could find it more difficult to get to sleep at night.
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