Why Americans don't get enough sleep
SMU Chemistry Professor Brian Zoltowski says there's increasing evidence that artificial light has had a negative consequence on our health, including sleep patterns.
Written by Kristen Fischer
We all know that a good night’s rest is vital to overall health, but we may not realize how essential it is or try hard enough to get it.
After all, a rough night can easily be “erased” by guzzling a good cup of coffee in the morning, right?
Maybe not.
Prioritizing sleep and finding solutions if you’re not getting enough is smart if you want to maintain optimal health. . .
Street light radiance isn’t the only culprit. Other sources of blue light from computers, televisions, or other electronic devices could be impairing your ability to sleep.
“As a society, we are using more technology, and there's increasing evidence that artificial light has had a negative consequence on our health,” Brian Zoltowski, PhD, a professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, said in a statement.
He conducted research in 2014 that reported how light impacts chemical signals in our bodies. The interruptions can affect sleep, metabolism, cancer development, drug addiction, and mood disorders, to name a few.