Sleeping With Light Or Soft Music? New Research Shows It May Be Riskier Than You Think

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lot of us feel eerie sleeping in complete darkness or silence. To combat this, many have a habvit of having a dim lamp on through the night, sleeping in the embrace of the glowing television or having soft music playing in the background. This is often said to help people drift off in sleep peacefully. If you are someone who does that too, there are new findings from the world of science that say that this habit might carry serious long-term health cost, especially for your heart and your brain.

A Major Study Raises Alarming Questions

A recent and large study published in JAMA Network Open, which is a part of the Journal of the American Medical Association group has highlighted the adverse effects of sleeping with lights or music in the background. The study tracked down 90,000 adults in the United Kingdom over 9 years. The participants in the study wore wrist monitors and sensors that helped in capturing real-time light exposure during sleep. This helped the researchers in getting an objective look into their nighttime environment rather than relying on memory or self-reporting alone.

Night Light, Higher Heart Risk

The findings of the study were unexpectedly stark. Individuals who were exposed to even mild light through the night faced a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular diseases as compared to those who preferred sleeping in complete darkness. The risk of coronary artery disease also rose by more than 30% in those sleeping with lights on, while the chances of stroke also increased. When combined altogether, nighttime light exposure pushed overall cardiovascular risk higher by more than 50%.

How Light Disrupts the Body’s Internal Clock

Researchers have also pointed towards the disruption of circadian rhythm, this is the body's internal clock and changes in this is the primary mechanism behind the heart risks involved. Even low levels of light send mixed signals to the brain, preventing the body from fully restoring itself during sleep. This interference can affect hormone release, metabolic regulation, blood pressure, and glucose control, gradually placing more strain on the heart.The study also observed that individuals above the age of 40 experienced a stronger impact, and women showed a slightly sharper rise in risk compared to men when exposed to low light during sleep.

What You Should Change Tonight

Experts recommend maintaining a completely dark sleep environment. Switch off lamps, cover appliance LEDs, draw heavy curtains, and avoid sleeping with the TV on. If some illumination is essential—perhaps for safety—opt for very dim lighting below 5 lux, roughly equal to the glow of a few distant candles.Soft music, on its own, isn’t harmful. But many devices that play music also emit light, making them a silent contributor to nighttime exposure. Prioritising darkness may be a small, effortless change, but it could make a meaningful difference to long-term heart health.