GoKawiilAccording to new research, light from your phone or the crack under your door could be damaging your health. Many people sleep with a night-light their whole lives—though as they grow older, small plug-in light fixtures may be replaced by the glow of laptops or phone screens. While sleeping in a low level of light may be commonplace, doing so comes with its own health hazards, including altering the shape of the human heart.A new study, published this week in the European Heart Journal, links exposure to light while sleeping to cardiac remodeling, or changes to the shape and function of the heart. Specifically, light exposure during sleep led to thickening of the wall of the left ventricle, one of the organ’s four chambers, reducing the space inside the heart. That weakens its ability to flex during a heartbeat, setting the stage for cardiac dysfunction.
This common sleep habit could be changing the shape of your heart—for the worse
A new European Heart Journal study ties exposure to light during sleep — from phones, laptops or night-lights — to cardiac remodeling, including thickening of the left ventricle wall. That matters because screens in the bedroom are now near-universal, turning a common consumer habit into a potential cardiovascular risk. It adds physiological evidence to long-running concerns about devices and sleep health.
- Research published in the European Heart Journal links nighttime light exposure during sleep to changes in the heart's shape and function.
- The effect noted is thickening of the left ventricle wall, shrinking internal space and weakening the heart's ability to flex during a beat.
- Everyday sources such as phone screens, laptops and night-lights are implicated, making this a widespread consumer habit worth reconsidering.
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