If you’re experiencing difficulty relaxing or falling asleep at night, look no further than the lighting in your home, office and/or electronic devices.
The latest research indicates that even short exposure times (as little as 2 hours) can significantly reduce melatonin levels. Melatonin plays an important role not only in sleep but also in cancer [3]. Several well-controlled trials have examined the correlation between melatonin levels and neoplastic activity and concluded that melatonin is antiproliferative and antioxidative on the cellular level. Suppression of naturally occurring melatonin levels should be taken seriously, especially in the clinical setting of cancer.
Research studies show:
Exposure to 3,000 K LED ceiling light causes statistically significant lower melatonin levels compared with melatonin concentrations under dim conditions.[2]
Blue light suppresses secretion of melatonin and can disrupt the circadian rhythm and sleeping patterns Brainard et al. [1] reported approximately 60% suppression of melatonin after 2 h of light at 460 nm and 12.1 μW/cm2.
