Emily Chan
This suggests that younger people are more vulnerable to the effects of light exposure at night. It is unclear why, but it could be attributed to individual differences in light sensitivity.
“Certain genotypes, which influence early-onset AD, impact the response to biological stressors, which could account for increased vulnerability to the effects of nighttime light exposure,” Voigt-Zuwala said. “Additionally, younger people are more likely to live in urban areas and have lifestyles that may increase exposure to light at night.”
The researchers hope their findings can help raise awareness about the potential risks of being exposed to light at night.
For those living in areas with high light pollution, there are some easy lifestyle changes that can be made, such as wearing eye masks to sleep or implementing blackout curtains.
The impact of indoor light exposure was not analyzed in this study, but the researchers said that blue light likely has the biggest effect on sleep.
People can use blue light filters, switch to warm light, and install dimmers in their homes to reduce indoor light exposure.
The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Neuroscience.
