"The groundwork of all happiness is health." - Leigh Hunt

Study: Light pollution may cause insomnia

The research we're .

Excessive exposure to vivid, artificial outdoor lights at night can lead to sleepless nights for older adults. According to a study published on November 15, 2018, the more people were exposed to this so-called light pollution at night, the more likely they were to show to medication to assist them sleep. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. People in brightly lit areas, as inferred from satellite data, appear to take these drugs longer and in higher doses than those not exposed to nighttime light.

To reach their conclusions, the researchers checked out data on 50,000 adults aged 60 and over from the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort, a database of data about individuals who participated in health screenings between 2002 and 2013 in South Korea. Researchers compared people's nighttime light exposure and use of two sleep medications, zolpidem (Ambion) and triazolam (Halcyon).

The study's authors say the findings confirm that light pollution can harm health, and that government officials should give attention to addressing the issue.

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