{"id":3933,"date":"2026-01-16T17:04:01","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T17:04:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bangbizarre.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/16\/sleeping-with-the-light-on-increases-heart-disease-death-risk\/"},"modified":"2026-01-16T17:04:02","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T17:04:02","slug":"sleeping-with-the-light-on-increases-heart-disease-death-risk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bangbizarre.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/16\/sleeping-with-the-light-on-increases-heart-disease-death-risk\/","title":{"rendered":"Sleeping with the light on increases heart disease death risk"},"content":{"rendered":"

2026-01-16 17:04:00<\/b>
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Sleeping with a light on may feel comforting, but new research suggests it could damage your heart.

\nScientists tracking almost 90,000 adults have found that exposure to bright light at night is linked to a significantly higher risk of developing \u2014 and dying from \u2014 cardiovascular disease.

\nIn the study, led by researchers from the US and Australia, participants wore wrist-mounted light sensors while sleeping. Over nearly a decade of follow-up, scientists compared night-time light exposure with diagnoses of coronary artery disease, heart attacks, heart failure, atrial fibrillation and strokes.

\nThe results were striking. People exposed to the highest levels of light while asleep were 56 per cent more likely to develop heart failure and 47 per cent more likely to suffer a heart attack than those who slept in darkness.

\nThey were also 32 per cent more likely to develop coronary artery disease and 30 per cent more likely to have a stroke \u2014 regardless of how long or how well they slept.

\nWomen appeared particularly vulnerable, with high night-time light exposure linked to a greater risk of coronary artery disease than in men.

\nWriting in JAMA Network Open, the researchers said: “Night light exposure was a significant risk factor for developing cardiovascular diseases in over 40s. Avoiding light at night may be a useful strategy for reducing risks of cardiovascular diseases.”

\nProfessor Frank Scheer, a neuroscientist at Brigham and Women\u2019s Hospital in Boston and co-author of the study, said: “For something like light exposure at night, there\u2019s no downside to keeping it dark other than using a dim light for safely getting out of bed.

\n“If you have somebody who\u2019s at risk for cardiovascular disease or somebody who has insomnia, asking patients about their light-at-night exposure and recommending to keep it dark might be especially important.

\n“It doesn\u2019t necessarily need to be pitch-dark. If you keep light really dim, below five lux \u2014 which is the equivalent of five candles at arm\u2019s length \u2014 you can still see your surroundings, but it has minimal effect on your circadian system.”

\nDr Daniel Windred, a sleep health researcher at Flinders University, added: “We thought there\u2019d be some effect, but to see close to a 60 per cent increased risk of heart failure with bright night light, the strength of the effect was surprising.

\n“Our thinking is that the light disrupts circadian rhythms, which leads to a dysregulated physiological state. If you disrupt these rhythms chronically, you possibly elevate people\u2019s risk of cardiovascular diseases.”
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