Light and its Affect on Sleep essays

Light and its Affect on Sleep essays A good nights sleep is desired by nearly everyone. It has been learned by researchers that healthier sleep habits can promote work efficiency, better mood, and improved memory. Certain factors and circumstances need to be present or absent in order for one to obtain a good nights sleep. One important factor is light. Light has been known to affect people in both psychological and physical ways. Doctors recommend it in the morning, and say that individuals need to have daily exposure to bright and natural sunlight for at least 30 minutes. The exposure to light stimulates the brain and prepares an individual for the day ahead. However, lights are disruptive at night, and do not allow the brain to properly go into a full state of sleep. Psychology Professor Ralph Mistlberger has been studying the effects of light on sleep, and believes that light influences the neural activity, but that there are times of the day when people can't be exposed to light, night time being one of them (Simon Fraser News, May 18, 2000, Vol. 18, No. 2). Researchers also say sudden exposure to light can upset a sleeping individual's 'body clock,' even if sleep continues uninterrupted (Science, (1998; 279:1358-1360). This leaves one feeling tired in the morning, and unable to carry out the days objectives in a successful manner. In a study of circadian maladaption by Todd S. Horowitz, Brian E. Cade, Jeremy M. Wolfe, and Charles A. Czeisler, keeping out as much light as possible while sleeping was found to contribute to the achievement of a healthy sleep and work schedule. This will ultimately lead to better performance at work during the day. We will conduct an experiment in an attempt to prove our hypothesis that any type of light, either continuous or flashing, during sleep is detrimental and will produce a negative effect later in the day. ...