Health experts call for reducing screen exposure before bedtime, embracing natural daylight to protect metabolic health
Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Jul 04 :
A growing body of scientific evidence has linked exposure to artificial light at night—including light emitted from mobile phones, televisions, tablets and brightly lit indoor environments—to an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, prompting public health experts to advocate healthier lighting and sleep habits.
According to a recent study published in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe, accessed by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), people who experience higher exposure to artificial light at night (ALAN) are significantly more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than those exposed to darker nighttime environments. In contrast, greater exposure to bright natural daylight was found to have a protective effect against the disease.
The large prospective cohort study analysed data from more than 85,000 adults enrolled in the UK Biobank and followed participants for a median of 9.6 years. Researchers found that the association between nighttime artificial light exposure and diabetes remained significant even after accounting for factors such as age, sex, body mass index, diet, physical activity, sleep duration, socioeconomic status and shift work.
Issuing the advisory, Dr S. Muhammad Salim Khan, Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College Srinagar, said that maintaining a healthy light-dark cycle should be viewed as an important component of diabetes prevention.
“Modern lifestyles have dramatically increased our exposure to artificial light after sunset. This disrupts the body’s natural circadian rhythm, suppresses melatonin production, affects insulin sensitivity and can contribute to elevated blood sugar levels. Along with a healthy diet and regular physical activity, adopting healthier lighting habits may help reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes,” he said.
Dr Khan explained that the body’s internal biological clock regulates numerous metabolic processes, including hormone secretion and glucose metabolism. Artificial light during nighttime interferes with this natural rhythm, potentially leading to hormonal imbalances, increased appetite, weight gain and metabolic dysfunction over time.
The advisory noted that individuals at greater risk include people living in urban areas with prolonged indoor light exposure, those spending long hours on mobile phones or computers late at night, shift workers, night-duty employees and people with irregular sleep schedules.
The findings are particularly relevant for India and Jammu & Kashmir, where the burden of diabetes continues to rise. Health experts point out that rapid urbanisation, increasing dependence on digital devices and growing exposure to light pollution are changing people’s daily routines, often at the expense of healthy sleep patterns.
While emphasising the significance of the findings, the advisory also clarified that the study establishes an association rather than direct causation, and that individual risk depends on multiple lifestyle and genetic factors.
To reduce the risk, experts recommend spending 30 to 60 minutes outdoors in natural daylight every morning, avoiding mobile phones, tablets and television screens one to two hours before bedtime, using dim and warm lighting during the evening, keeping bedrooms as dark as possible during sleep, and maintaining a consistent sleep schedule every day.
Public health experts stressed that these simple behavioural changes, when combined with balanced nutrition, regular exercise and routine diabetes screening, could contribute significantly to lowering the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
The advisory concludes with a message encouraging people to “protect their circadian rhythm today for a healthier tomorrow,” highlighting that small lifestyle changes can make a meaningful difference in preventing chronic diseases and building a healthier, diabetes-resilient Jammu & Kashmir—(KNO)