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Sleeping with a light on could damage the heart
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Sleeping with a light on could harm your heart. Researchers put sensors on people to measure the light in their bedrooms. Later, people with no heart disease had an MRI scan. The scans showed a link between sleeping with a light on and changes in the heart. For some people, the heart was less able to pump blood.
Light could be a new risk for heart disease. A researcher suggested that turning off lights while sleeping could help prevent heart problems. People should turn off lights in their bedroom. Their room should be as dark as possible. The researcher said using blackout curtains and turning off tiny LED lights were good ideas.
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Sleep and Light - Level 1
Researchers say sleeping with a light on could harm your heart. Even lights that are not so bright could be harmful. The researchers put sensors on 11,000 people to measure the light in their bedrooms. People with no heart disease had an MRI scan three years later. The scans showed a link between sleeping with a light on and changes in the heart. The heart muscles were thicker. Also, the heart was less able to pump blood.
The lead researcher said light was a new risk for heart disease. He suggested that reducing light while sleeping could help to prevent heart disease. The researchers advised people to turn off lights in their bedroom. They said the room should be as dark as possible. They added that their advice was simple and cheap: use blackout curtains and warm-coloured lights. They also suggested covering the small standby LEDs on household devices.
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Sleep and Light - Level 2
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Sleeping with a light on could be bad for your heart. Researchers in the USA say even a light that is not very bright could be harmful. The researchers did tests on 11,000 people. The people wore sensors that measured the amount of light in their bedrooms. People who had no heart disease had an MRI scan three years later. The scans showed a link between sleeping with a light on and changes in the structure of the heart. One change was thicker heart muscles. Another change was the heart was less able to pump blood, stretch, and relax during heartbeats.
The study is published in the European Heart Journal. The lead researcher said light pollution was a new risk factor for heart disease. He suggested that reducing light while sleeping could be a strategy for preventing heart disease. The researchers advised people to turn off lights, televisions, and smartphones in their bedroom. They said people needed to make the room as dark as possible. They added: "The advice is simple and inexpensive: blackout curtains, warm-coloured bedside lighting, and covering the small standby LEDs on household electronics."
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Sleep and Light - Level 3
Sleeping with a light on could be bad for you. Researchers from Tulane University in the USA say any kind of light at bedtime could be bad for your heart. Even a very dim light could be harmful. The researchers did tests on 11,000 people for a week. The test participants wore sensors that measured the amount of light in their bedrooms. People who did not have heart disease had an MRI scan three years later. The scans showed there was a link between sleeping with a light on and changes in the structure of the heart. One change was thicker heart muscles. Another change was that people's hearts were less able to pump blood, stretch, and relax during heartbeats.
The study is published in the European Heart Journal. Lead researcher Professor Lu Qi wrote: "Light pollution has emerged as a new risk factor for cardiovascular disease." He added the findings from his study suggest that reducing light while sleeping could be "one of the potential strategies for preventing heart disease". The researchers suggested turning off lights, televisions, and smartphones in the bedroom. They said people needed to get their sleeping environment as dark as possible. They added: "The advice is simple and inexpensive: blackout curtains, warm-coloured bedside lighting, and covering the small standby LEDs on household electronics."
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