A bright bedroom is bad for your sleep; however, it may also contribute to weight gain.
A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology collected evidence from over 113,000 women and found that having a bright bedroom was correlated with obesity. Participants to rate the amount of light in their bedroom when they went to sleep (from bright enough to read to too dark to see your hand in front of your face), and then participants were measured for BMI, waist-to-hip ratio, and waist circumference. In all participants, these measurements were higher if they had brighter rooms.
Light is related to melatonin production, which is why too much light before bed can screw your sleep cycle. That’s also how light therapy works. It’s also known that poor sleep increases your risk for obesity. What’s probably happening to these women (and you shouldn’t assume that the same result won’t happen with men) is increased light is causing poor sleep, leading to weight gain.
What’s your takeaway? Make friends with darkness: banish screens from your bedroom, and invest in some dark curtains. Your waist will thank you.
