Screen light at night and diabetes risk

Scroll through feeds until you pass out. Stick to the screen in the middle of the night if you wake up and can’t sleep. One more episode and sleep. One more roller and onto the side… Of course, each of these conditions brings harm. But it's not about getting enough sleep. Screen light at night directly increases the risk of developing diabetes.

Why is screen light so harmful at night?

During large-scale research In a sample of 85,000 people, Flinders University researchers found that screen light exposure at night increased the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, regardless of daytime activity. Directly related to this sleep neurohormone cycle.

Study Details

Exposure to light at night affects our circadian rhythms, leading to changes in insulin secretion and glucose metabolism. This affects the body's ability to regulate blood sugar levels, which ultimately leads to the development of type 2 diabetes.

Senior study author Andrew Phillips, assistant professor in the College of Medicine and Public Health.

Using UK Biobank data, 84,790 participants wearing wrist light sensors were studied over a one-week wearing period. Data was collected from 2013 to 2016. After collecting 13 million hours of data, researchers found that the risk of developing diabetes later in life increased by 67% if screen light was a constant companion to a person's daily life. The scientists also found that the risk increased with more time spent in light, regardless of what people did during the day.

These findings support the hypothesis that light suppresses or shifts circadian rhythms, placing them in an “abnormal phase.” This changes insulin secretion and glucose metabolism. Personally, I would be interested to see if the numbers would have changed if the study participants took melatonin.

Shedding light on the nuances

For example, disrupted circadian rhythms of melatonin or glucocorticoids may reduce insulin secretion by the pancreas, promoting glucose production in the liver during periods coinciding with food intake. Persistent disruption of circadian rhythms leads to a persistent increase in postprandial glucose levels, initiating the development of type 2 diabetes by increasing the size and inflammation of adipocytes, thereby promoting insulin resistance. This leads to the secretion of inflammatory markers (for example, interleukin-1β), which suppress the functioning of the pancreas.

From research materials.

Although lifestyle and routine features such as working night shifts and irregular sleep patterns themselves influence the risk of diabetes, the researchers took these factors into account. And even taking them into account, the verdict is clear: exposure to light between 12:30 at night and 6 in the morning poses a serious health problem. Exogenous melatonin would be meaningless here, because it harmful in long courses.

The researchers naturally hypothesize that limiting exposure to screen light during this period, in order to maintain circadian rhythms, would be an easy way to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Conclusion why screen light is so harmful

The results also showed that exposure to screen light at night was associated with a higher risk of developing diabetes. Moreover, there is a dose-dependent relationship between light intensity and the risk of diabetes. The results suggest that reducing light exposure at night and maintaining darkness may be a simple and cheap way to prevent or delay the development of diabetes.

Senior study author Andrew Phillips

Therefore, the classical regime was, is and remains the foundation of a healthy lifestyle and biohacking. Go to bed and wake up at the same time, regardless of whether it is a “weekend or a weekday” in your life. Sleep in the darkest possible room. And it is better to leave your phone on the table. It is easier with e-books, since the light does not shine from the screen, but only reflects from it.