- Scientists from Ohio University studied the
effect of night time light on health
- There were genetic
alterations that affected the offspring's physiology and behavior
born from parents with these genetic alterations inherited the altered genes,
leading to low immunity and behavioral problems
The advent of technology
allows day-like lighting, while the use of entertainment gadgets
like television and computers leads to delayed sleep. There have been studies
conducted on identifying the ill effects of working during the night, affecting
the circadian rhythm
However, a research team from Ohio State University studied the health effects
of light exposure during the night. The damaging effects of our extremely
illuminated lights, not only affect an individual's health, but
can also affect the offspring, according to the study. The study was published
in the journal Scientific Reports
The study found that
hamsters, when not exposed to natural sunlight during the day and darkness
during the night gave rise to pups that had an impaired endocrine activity, as
well as a weakened immune system.
‘Tablets, phones and TV should not be viewed late at night as it can lead to heritable genetic alterations.’
The lead author of the
study, Yasmine Cisse said that the findings of the study suggest that
disruptions in the circadian rhythm have long-reaching effects on the
offspring, which is a cause of concern. There have been numerous health
problems like diabetes and cancer, associated with light exposure during the night,
like the use of phones, TV, tablets and computers.
Senior study author, Dr.
a professor and chair of neuroscience at Ohio State's Wexner Medical Center, said
that the health effects were now found to affect the offspring, the first study
of this kind.
Risk of Night Time Exposure
Studies that were
conducted earlier showed that there was a disruption
of the endocrine function in adult mice which lead to behavioral and
physiological changes in the offspring. The current study was designed to
understand if the damage caused due to night time light exposure was passed on
to the next generation.
In the study, for 9
weeks male and female adult hamsters were subjected to
- normal light
during the day and a dark night cycle
- or to low light during
After the exposure to
the differing routines, the hamsters were mated in one of the following ways:
- Female hamster exposed to dim light
- Male hamster exposed to dim light at
- Both male and female exposed to dim light at
- Both male and female exposed to normal exposure to
light during the day and darkness during the night
The hamsters were placed
under normal conditions, light during the day and darkness during the night.
The offspring of these hamsters were also placed under normal conditions. The
scientists carried out tests on the offspring to determine if they showed any
signs of changes.
The findings of the
- Genetic alterations that occurred
due to exposure to light during the night were passed on to the
- Mothers and fathers independently transferred
genetic alterations to their offspring.
- The offspring
showed reduced endocrine activity as well as an impaired immune
- Certain changes in traits were noticed only among
female offspring, while certain others were seen only in male offspring.
- There was lowered immunity when exposed to foreign
substances in the offspring of parents exposed to dim light at night.
- There were changes in the genetic activity in the spleen
of the offspring
alterations that occur in the female are believed to be transferred to the
offspring, however, it was found that both male
and female hamsters
were found to transmit genetic alterations to the
offspring. Dr. Nelson said that these genetic changes did not occur during
pregnancy but they were inherited separately from the male and the
The study highlights the
importance of adequate rest during the night and the ill effects of tampering
with the sleep/wake cycle with the focus on an association between dim light
and night time sleep.
of a Light Free Night:
It is important to keep
nights dark, as the scientists had carried out their work on Siberian hamsters
which were nocturnal. The crux of the research is that nights should be
There is an increasing
need to treat night time light as light pollution, as it leads to health
hazards which can be far reaching. Previous studies have shown that it can lead
to depression, cardiovascular disease, diabetes as well as anxiety disorders.
The changing lifestyle has resulted in a lot of people watching TV late into
the night or children playing with their tablets at bed time.
In a study conducted by
J M Harrington titled "Health effects of shift work and extended hours of work"
and published in the journal British
, the effect of
working during the night
sleeping during the day was highlighted. The following effects were recorded
- Inability to sleep well during the
- Drop in performance levels
- Cardiovascular disease
- Disruption in menstrual
- Gastro-intestinal symptoms like
flatulence, heart burn and abdominal pain
- Poor attention
span could increase the risk for accidents
Such studies highlight
the need for a good sleep environment, in the absence of light. Poor sleeping
patterns and the use of tablets and other devices during the night can lead to
genetic alterations which affect the offspring. The risk to the progeny
should be a wake-up
for people who continue to be exposed to dim light during