Artificial Light Might Trigger Depression


We’ve pointed out numerous times that staring at bright screens such as tablets or laptops in bed has a bad effect on your sleep patterns and your overall health. Now one study hints at an possible link between regular exposure to artificial light and levels of depression.

Picture by Danny Nicholson

The research, published in Molecular Psychiatry, investigated the effect of artificial light (known as LAN in the research) on brain indicators in female hamsters than had previously been linked to depression. The results “suggest that environmental changes such as LAN exposure may warrant more attention as possible contributors to the rising rates of mood disorders,” the announcement of the study notes.

It’s only a single study, and there isn’t direct comparable data for human subjects. But not using your tablet immediately before sleep still sounds wise to us.

Chronic dim light at night provokes reversible depression-like
phenotype: possible role for TNF
[Molecular Psychiatry]


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