By Tim Sandle
There are various causes of insomnia, ranging from stress and worry, to social habits like the use of e-readers. However, there could be another reason — street lighting.
The link between sleeplessness and street lights has been made through a comparative study of different neighborhoods, and it is set to be presented at the April 2016 meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Vancouver, Canada.
A good night's sleep is important for most people. This is not only to remain alert and healthy — some evidence points to a relationship between partial sleep deprivation and obesity. There are other ill-health effects.
The new research, which has yet to be published, examined the responses of 15,863 people. The subjects were assessed and interviewed by scientists over an eight-year period. The respondents were asked about their sleep habits, quality of sleep, and any psychiatric disorders.
The responses were then overlaid with data collected from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program. This allowed the scientists to cross-match the level of outdoor light people were exposed to at night, with responses about sleeplessness.
The research has found those living in urban areas, where there are populations of 500,000 or more, are exposed to far greater levels of nighttime lights, and this corresponds with worse sleep.
Speaking about the research to the website Bioscience Techniques, lead researcher Dr. Maurice Ohayon, from Stanford University in Stanford, California, stated: "Our world has become a 24/7 society. We use outdoor lighting, such a street lights, to be more active at night and to increase our safety and security."
He also added: "The concern is that we have reduced our exposure to darkness and it could be affecting our sleep."
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