Except for people who suffer from aching (fear of darkness), darkness promotes restful sleep, but also has a significant influence on health!
Why sleep in complete darkness?
- ... is beneficial for breast cancer treatment!
The new study, published by researchers at Tulane University in the United States, demonstrates the effects of total darkness on the health of patients treated for breast cancer. Indeed, the complete "black" allows tamoxifen (a treatment commonly used against breast cancer) to act effectively on diseased cells. Experience shows that the brightness of a single half-open door completely annihilates the effects of the molecule.
- ... prevents certain diseases
More generally, artificial light blocks the production of melatonin (sleep hormone). Normally, the epiphysis, a small gland located in the brain, secretes melatonin as soon as it gets dark. This hormone generally has a protective role vis-à-vis certain cancers. But when light disrupts this production, patients will develop certain hormone-dependent cancers.
- ... prevents depression
Similarly, many studies have shown the links between sleep and depression. Researchers thus proved in 2012 that a simple diode lit in his room could cause depressive states. The reason is the disruption of hormones due to exposure to light during sleep time: "The advent of electric light has allowed us to depart from the natural cycles of day and night," explains researcher Tracy Bedrosian, which may have potentially disturbed our biological rhythms. "
- ... limits obesity
Sleeping in the dark would also affect the weight! In fact, poor rhythm or poor quality of sleep can be directly related to weight gain. A recent study has established a link between sleep and changes in metabolism, always due to hormones.
- ... protects the eyesight
It is researchers in Philadelphia, USA, who have demonstrated the link between the absence of a period of "total darkness" during childhood, and the development of vision problems such as myopia. However, researchers are still cautious about this finding, since myopia is mostly hereditary, which slightly distorts the results.
