The “lighter” side of insomnia: Cheaper lighting has “LED” to light pollution increase

Isaiah 9:2

“The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them.”

I don’t usually paraphrase the Bible to my own advantage, but Isaiah’s run as a prophet doesn’t seem to have ended yet!

Lighting solutions become cheaper every year. From incandescent to fluorescent to CFL and now LED, it’s become more affordable than ever to keep the lights on.

A new study published in Science Advances shows that the total lit area of the world at nighttime has been growing at a rate of 2.2% every year between 2012 and 2016, and with that is a growing intensity and brightness that’s stealing away our darkness.

The findings of the study are interesting, because the researchers say that we’re starting to light up things that we didn’t before, like stretches of highway that were previously left dark, and cycle paths in parks at night.

One of the notable findings was that war-torn regions like Syria and Yemen saw a decline in nighttime lighting. Also, in the most brightly lit countries of the world – Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and the United States – the level of lighting remained fairly stable.

But there’s a major problem with this, and it’s called Light Pollution.

Essentially, every part of the Earth’s surface goes through a natural day and night cycle. With so much light concentrated around human civilization at night, that cycle is harshly disrupted. It’s almost like having the sun shine 24 hours a day in every major city in the world.

The effect of such a disruption is that it upsets the circadian rhythms of not only human beings, but also micro-organisms, plants and animals. And when circadian rhythms are affected, it could lead to sleep disorders like insomnia and, it is believed, even breast cancer.

Another Form of Light Pollution: Blue Light

Separate from the study, the problem is exacerbated by the advent of smartphones, tablets and similar gadgets over the past decade.

The “blue light” they emit has the same effect as the elevated levels of lighting around us: they affect our circadian rhythms, don’t allow us to get enough sleep and leave us groggy most mornings.

The solution is complicated, but we can start by using less lighting at home when it’s not required, and stop using our mobile screens at least a couple of hours before bedtime.

Over time, you’ll find that you’re sleeping better and waking up more refreshed the next morning.

Lights out.

+++ + +++