This is the Effect of Light at Night on Mental Health

Jakarta –

Sunlight is known to have a positive effect on one’s mood and helps to increase feelings of happiness. On the other hand, light exposure at night can disrupt the body’s natural rhythm and disturb the quality of sleep.

These two phenomena are not just empty sentences. This is supported by research that shows the importance of lighting on physical and mental well-being.

Reporting from detikEdu, Researchers from Freire Universität Berlin, Germany, reported in 2013 that people who did the study on very sunny days (with sunlight) felt that they enjoyed life more than people who were surveyed on cloudy days. This has something to do with the positive effects the brain provides when the body experiences sunlight.

Another study in March 2024 revealed that there are risks that could harm health when they come to artificial light at night, such as lights. It is known that 80 percent of the world’s population lives in places that are friendly to light.

Based on this idea, it is known that light is related to mood and affects mental health. Several reviews of evidence from this research were conducted.

Jacob Crouse and Emiliana Tonini, mental health researchers from the Brain and Mind Center at the University of Sydney, revealed that there is a relationship between light exposure and brain activity that affects mood. Exposure to sunlight can affect the way neurotransmitters work, which are chemical messengers in the brain.

Based on this, serotonin or something called the “happiness hormone” binds to receptors in the brain due to exposure to light. This increase in serotonin functions in the release of this hormone so that it has a mood-restoring effect on a person and also has an effect on mental health conditions.

Alexis Hutcheon, one of the patients with mental problems, explained that the change of seasons accompanied by changes in light exposure actually promotes depression. Then he continued with episodes of hypomania.

“I don’t know if I’m happy or sad, but one thing is for sure I can’t sleep through the change of seasons,” said Hutcheon, quoted by Science Alert.

Crouse said this condition may occur due to changes in brain health and seasonal changes. This is because it causes less or more sun exposure, which affects neurotransmitters in the brain.

Serotonin levels tend to be lower in winter due to a decrease in sunlight. This decrease in serotonin has an indirect effect on a person’s mental state because this chemical plays a role in improving mood.

Antidepressant drugs are known to work by increasing serotonin levels in the brain. In this case, even if they are taking antidepressants, someone who has certain mental illnesses will tend to experience a decrease in serotonin due to the changing seasons.

At the same time, dopamine plays a role as a chemical in providing a feeling of motivation and reward. However, trends also change with the changing seasons.

Additionally, during seasonal changes, the available lights at night will affect a person’s mood and state of mind. This is caused by circadian rhythms or biological conditions that regulate various body functions based on day and night cycles.

When there is no light, the body will automatically relax. However, the appearance of artificial light at inappropriate times disturbs the body, causing a person to experience an imbalance in the sleep cycle.

This cycle imbalance can trigger high levels of psychological symptoms such as self-harming behavior, symptoms of depression and anxiety. In addition, exposure to night light can affect mood, cognition, appetite, metabolism and much more.

Although each person’s sensitivity to light is different, researchers recommend avoiding too much night light and choosing light during the day. This is recommended to maintain circadian rhythms and reduce the incidence of anxiety disorders and mental health risks.

“This includes people with a family history of mental health problems or people who like to stay up late (sleep late and wake up late), who are at greater risk of having their body clock disrupted ,” Crouse said.

(asm/ata)