The human body naturally associates darkness with sleep and considers light as the time to be awake and alert. Therefore, we are biologically wired to sleep much faster, better and longer at night than during the day, even if you are a night shift worker.
It’s almost always better to sleep in the dark; however, you may want some light when taking a daytime nap. Naps are usually the most refreshing when shorter than 30 minutes and having the lights on may keep you from oversleeping and settling into a deeper sleep than you intend.
So, is it good to sleep with the lights on? The answer is no. Leaving your bedroom lights on can deprive your body of a deeper and longer sleep, which can lead to insomnia. The practice can also lead to long-term health complications that can significantly affect your quality of life.
Disadvantages of Sleeping with the Lights On
- Depression
Did you know that leaving the lights on in the bedroom at night is one of the leading causes of depression? Well, many of us have experiences of sudden mood swings after a bad night and the quality of your sleep can be behind it.
According to Harvard Health, depression and related health conditions like bipolar disorder and anxiety are common side effects of poor sleep. Over time, chronic insomnia can develop into more complicated long-term mental illnesses.
If you’re sleeping with the lights on, it’s no wonder your mood plummets at the slightest opportunity. In most cases, friends and loved ones are forced to feel the brunt of your moods, which can sour even the closest of relationships.- Low Libido
Sleeping with light on at bedtime has been linked to low libido in men and women of all ages. This makes sense, as mediocre sleep typically leads to side effects ranging from depleted energy to drowsiness and low mood.
These side effects naturally deter most of us from sexual pleasure or at least reduce our interest in getting freaky.
In addition, research has shown that good quality sleep increases testosterone levels, which can inevitably increase sexual desire. - Forgetfulness
The connection between sleepiness and forgetfulness is obvious. When you are sleepy or feel sleepy, it can be difficult to remember even the most mundane things. Sometimes the ability to do mundane tasks that you have mastered can yield erratic results at best.
This is another good reason why it is important to sleep without lights. Dark bedrooms at night can provide the superior sleep your body needs to stay awake during the day and maintain a sharp memory. - Eye Irritation
Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night feeling puffy and irritated due to the brightness of your bedroom lights? That’s because bright lights during the night can be very taxing on the eyes.
This is especially true for those who have overly bright bedroom lights. If you have always slept in the dark in the past, suddenly sleeping under lights can also be irritating. This is why many experts recommend dimmable light bulbs if you need to sleep with the lights on for one reason or another. - Your Pineal Gland Gets Confused
Alas, your bedroom may be keeping your body from getting enough melatonin at night. That’s because the absence of the sun is replaced by a plethora of light-emitting stuff.
Light bulbs, TV sets, desktop computers, laptops, clock radios, smartphones — all of these things can disrupt normal melatonin production at night. Even that pesky lamppost just outside your window can keep your body from obtaining all of the melatonin it needs at bedtime.
With an inadequate amount of melatonin coursing through your bloodstream, your sleep-wake cycle can become disrupted, keeping you from obtaining a restorative kind of sleep.
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Looking for the best night’s sleep you can get? It’s important to aim for dark and cool environments. Keep in mind that the opposite can be true and rob you of maximum sleep enjoyment.
