Artificial Light at Night May Add Extra Pounds.

PositionFEMALE WEIGHT GAIN

Sleeping with a television or light on in the room may be a risk factor for gaining weight or developing obesity, according to scientists at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md. The research, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, is the first to find an association between any exposure to artificial light at night while sleeping and weight gain in women.

The research team used questionnaire data from 43,722 women in the Sister Study, a cohort study that examines risk factors for breast cancer and other diseases. The participants, aged 35-74 years, had no history of cancer or cardiovascular disease and were not shift workers, daytime sleepers, or pregnant when the study began. The study questionnaire asked whether the women slept with no light, a small nightlight, light outside of the room, or a light or television on in the room.

Results vary with the level of artificial light at night exposure. For instance, using a small nightlight was not associated with weight gain, whereas women who slept with a light or television on were 17%...

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