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Sleeping In Rooms With Even a Little Light Can Increase Risk of Depression, Study Finds (iflscience.com)
Japanese researchers have found that even the slightest slither of light when trying to sleep could be linked to a heightened risk of depression, according to a new study published in The American Journal of Epidemiology. IFLScience reports: The reason behind this link is unclear, but the researchers believe it might be to do with the human circadian rhythm, the 24-hour cycle that tells us when to sleep and wake up, among other things, that is "programmed" by environmental factors. In the case of humans and many other creatures, light influences how much of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin is pumped into our bodies, meaning we feel awake when the Sun rises and get sleepy when the Sun sets. This system works like a charm when there's only sunlight, moonlight, and a campfire to think about. However, the modern world is beaming with almost constant exposure to artificial light. Light at night (LAN) in a bedroom -- even a flash of a digital clock or streetlight creeping in from a crack in the curtains -- could screw with our natural sleep/wake cycle. The team behind the recent study assessed the sleep of almost 900 elderly people with no signs of depression. They found that people who slept in a room with 5 lux of light or more at night showed a "significantly higher depression risk" than those who slept in a completely dark room. For perspective, a household room with its lights on is around 80 lux and 10 lux is a single candle from 0.3 meters (1 foot) away.
Listen you guys, I'm telling you this because I love you all:
If you have a computer or router or modem in your bedroom, cover the LEDs. It makes a huge difference. Get it nice and dark in there and you'll get the best sleep of your life. Turn the computer off, and if you've got one of those goofy gaming mice where the LED lights don't turn off when the computer goes down, cover it with a dark cloth.
Also, get yourself the dimmest possible night light and put it in your bathroom (and in the hallway to the bathroom if necessary). When you get up to whiz, don't turn on the bright bathroom light. You want to stay as close to sleeping as you can without peeing in your pajamas.
Those circadian rhythms don't play. If you mess with them, you will start to feel like shit. If you become in harmony with the cycles of light and dark, you will find happiness, or at least you'll feel good.
Seriously. I'm not fucking around. I even want the haters and losers to take this advice. Cultivate your sleep. Sleep is your friend.
You are welcome on my lawn.
Okay. Let's have the pedantic reason why they aren't the same. You know you want to.
Prison: for storage of felony-convicted incarcerations, usually at least 1+ years
- states and the feds have prisons
Jail: for = 1 year low-risk felony sentences, misdemeanor-convicted incarcerations, and innocent people awaiting (sometimes multiple *years*) for due process in court.
- cities and counties have jails
Ask any former inmate which they were in--it's about like asking whether someone is from New Zealand or Australia.
Okay, I'll bite. Google "us jail vs prison". One of the first hits comes up with:
[Emphasis mine] The original point was likely that local law enforcement, especially in the more remote locales, are often more brutal (and other consequences of being strapped for cash) than enforcement in federal facilities.
They're not OK. Really, it's worth the effort to try to cover them up as much as possible.
It depends on the color. Red LEDs are best. Blue are the worst.
Also, the best material to darken windows is aluminum foil. Put it on with furnace tape. Use small fragments of furnace tape to cover any pinholes.
My bedroom has a red LED digital clock, angled so I have to lift my head to see it. Otherwise, it is pitch black even in the middle of the day.
Sleeping well is a wise investment. It will help you be healthy and productive.
Darkness, darkness, be my pillow. I was a shift worker for years and had to try to sleep during the day. I warned my family I would be in a bad mood and to please forgive me. I put heavy dark curtains and pull down shades on the two windows. That helped but I could hear my sons playing and cars driving by so I wore earplugs. That helped. During the summer the room would get warm and I installed a window air conditioner. More noise. I slept for four hours then woke up. I still wear a sleep mask and sometime use earplugs at night. It;s one-thirty AM now .