Views: 381 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2021-03-15 Origin: Site
Light pollution from big cities blocks out starry skies — and also messes with teenagers’ sleep.
A study published July 5 in the journal JAMA Psychiatry collected data on mental health issues and sleep patterns from more than 10,000 teens participating in the National Comorbidity Survey Adolescent Supplement. Researchers from the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland, and other organizations found that youths who lived in areas with high levels of outdoor light went to bed later and slept less. They also were more likely to be diagnosed with bipolar disorder or a specific phobia, according to a July 8 article on CNN.
“Although environmental light exposure is only one factor in a more complex network of influences on sleep and behavior, it is likely to be an important target for prevention and interventions in adolescent health,” said co-author Kathleen Merikangas, a senior investigator and chief of the Genetic Epidemiology Research Branch at the National Institute of Mental Health.
