A new study in the American Journal of Epidemiology finds that sleeping in a bedroom with more than 5 lux of light raises your risk of depression by 65%.
What’s the mechanism?
“Previous studies have suggested the possibility that LAN [light-at-night] induces sleep disturbances, impaired melatonin secretion and misalignments between sleep/wake behavior … and depression is frequently accompanied by these conditions,” the study said.
A “lux” of light is the amount that shines from a candle if you’re sitting 3.3 feet away from the candle.
The offending 5 luxes of light = a street lamp shining into your room at night.
