Even a little light past bedtime may leave people more vulnerable to depression

A large number of people across the globe are battling depression as many try to figure out a way to prevent it. Among other things, sleep quality is one thing that is suffers when a person is facing depression.

Researchers have observed that having no light at all in the bedroom is one way to curb chances of depression. They found that even a little light from the gap between curtains or on the smartphone display can confuse the body clock to cause depression symptoms.

While studies conducted previously did show how nocturnal light disrupts the sleep cycle, they didn’t sufficiently explain how it’s linked to depression. The new study revealed that people who were exposed to 5 lumens of light past bedtime were at a higher risk of developing depression as compared to those who slept in the dark.

Another study from 2009 had showed that people kept in a room lit 24 hours a day were more likely to suffer from depression.