You probably already know that sleeping with the lights on is a bad idea, but did you know that it’s also bad for your eyes? The reason why is simple: When you’re sleeping with the lights on, you’re exposing your eyes to bright light for a long time. In fact, according to a study conducted by the U.S. National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, sleeping with the lights on for more than an hour can lead to permanent damage to your eyes. So, is it bad to sleep with led lights on? Here’s what you need to know.
Is It Bad To Sleep With Led Lights On?
If you are using LED lights, you should do it in moderation. The reason is that LED lights have a high frequency and are not good for the eyes. It is also said that they can harm sleep quality. If you do not use them, then your sleep would be disturbed by their high-frequency waves.
What’s The Harm Of Sleeping With The Lights On?
LED light is a type of lighting that is very useful and widely used in our daily life. Even if it can bring a lot of benefits to you, it can also cause some side effects, especially when they are being used in excess. Some of the possible side effects are listed below:
Eye Problems –
LED lights are very bright and could cause eye strain when used in excess. This can lead to eye diseases, like macular degeneration. They might also cause headaches or migraines if you use them for too long.
Skin Problems –
LED lights are known to be harmful to your skin as they emit radiation that can cause skin problems like skin cancer or premature aging of the skin. It is also not advisable when you use LED lights on your face because they emit radiation directly into your eyes and might lead to visual impairment or even blindness if not used with proper care and attention from the users themselves.
Sinus Problems –
LED lights affect the sinus and they might be responsible for causing sinus problems like congestion, allergy, and even headaches. The bright light emitted by LED lights can also cause eye strain, which can lead to headaches.
Cancer –
LED lights are known to emit harmful radiation that can cause cancer or other types of diseases if you use them in excess. They should not be used in any place where people are exposed to excessive amounts of radiation and should always be used with care so that they do not affect your health in any way possible.
Mental Problems –
LED lights are known to affect the mental health of the users as it emits a very bright light that is not good for people suffering from depression or anxiety disorders as it may worsen their condition further. They should also never be used by pregnant women as they can affect their unborn babies and lead them to some mental disorders or even neurological problems during childhood such as autism spectrum disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Vision Problems –
LED lights are also known to cause vision problems by damaging the retina and damaging the optic nerve which leads to some visual impairment. It is not advisable for people with weak eyesight as they might end up having damage to the retina or optic nerve, which would lead to some permanent vision problems. There are also other kinds of vision problems that can be caused by LED lights if they are used in excess such as night blindness, glare, and squinting.
Addiction –
LED lights can cause addiction when they are used in excess because it releases dopamine in the brain and this could lead to addiction when used long-term.
Skin Problems –
LED lights can cause skin problems like acne, eczema, or even psoriasis if you use them too often on your skin or even on your face without proper care and attention from the users themselves. The direct radiation emitted by them can also cause skin problems like skin cancer, premature aging of the skin (wrinkles), skin infections, and even skin damage.
Tinnitus –
LED lights can cause tinnitus which is a condition that causes ringing in the ears when used for a long time on them. It also causes dizziness and balance problems as well as hearing loss if it is used for too long on the ear canal or even on the eardrums.
Blurred Vision –
LED lights can cause blurred vision by damaging the retina and optic nerve by emitting radiation from them. It can also cause eye strain due to the bright light emitted from them which is one of the main reasons why you should avoid using them at night to prevent any vision problems caused by them in your eyes.
What Causes Permanent Eye Damage From Sleeping With The Lights On?
As we mentioned above, the reason why sleeping with the lights on is bad for your eyes is because when you’re asleep, you expose your eyes to bright light for a long time. Then, when you wake up, your eyes are already sensitive to light. This can cause your eyes to get “fried,” which is when your eyes’ light-sensing cells become overexposed, and damage can occur.
The following are some of the main causes of permanent eye damage from sleeping with the lights on:
Excessive Brightness –
The longer you sleep with the lights on, the brighter the light from the flashlight or computer monitor will be. This bright light exposure can cause permanent damage to your eyes through photo attention, which is when your eyes are stuck in a way that light sensitives are at risk of getting permanently blinded.
Excessive Light Exposure –
The amount of light you expose your eyes to while sleeping can also lead to permanent eye damage. During the day, you should wear sunglasses if you’re outside the day and you’re not staying at a hotel where it’s daylight for longer than a few hours.
Too much Salt in the Eyes –
When your eyes are under too much stress, they start to secrete more tears to ease the pressure, but too much of this is harmful.
Exposure to the Sun –
If you’re not wearing sunglasses, you run the risk of getting sun-damaged eyes. In other words, if you don’t wear sunglasses when in the sunlight, your eyes can be damaged. Similarly, if you sleep under the sun without wearing any type of eye protection such as a hat or sunglasses, your eyes can also be damaged.
The above are some of the reasons why sleeping with lights on can cause permanent eye damage to people. However, there are other reasons too such as:
Exposure to Glare from Bright Lights –
If you wear glasses while sleeping and then wake up with them on, your eyes could be exposed to glare from bright lights from your computer monitor or flashlight. This glare can harm your eyes and make them more prone to getting permanently blinded by light exposure.
Conclusion
In conclusion, sleeping with the lights on is a bad idea. It’s simply not safe, and it can lead to permanent eye damage. You should know, however, that there is no way to tell for sure if sleeping with the lights on is bad for your health. There are a few things you can do, however, to protect yourself against the effects of excessive light exposure while you sleep.