Hidden health crisis: How artificial light disrupts our bodies

We all know sleep is important, but what if simply flipping on a light at the wrong time could do more than just make you tired? What if artificial light could change the way your body fights illness, how your brain processes emotion, or how you recover from surgery?

A team of researchers at West Virginia University has explored this question. The research suggests that artificial light at night may silently alter how our bodies function.

From night shifts to neuroscience

The story behind this research starts in an unlikely place. Before becoming a scientist, Dr. Randy J. Nelson, the lead researcher, worked night shifts in a turkey processing plant. Later, he performed autopsies at two hospitals in Cleveland.

Eventually, a job opening at the San Diego Zoo led Dr. Nelson to pursue a scientific career that took him to UC San Diego and later UC Berkeley, where he became the first person in the U.S. to earn two PhDs at once – one in psychology and one in endocrinology.

“My path to academia is typical in the sense that it is not ‘typical,'” said Dr. Nelson. Today, he leads the Department of Neuroscience at West Virginia University.

In Dr. Nelson’s lab, researchers have spent years studying how the modern world, especially its bright nights, can throw off the rhythms our bodies evolved to follow.

Artificial light and human health

Most people associate circadian rhythms with sleep, but the WVU researchers show that these rhythms are integrated into almost every system in the body.

The experts report that light at night can disrupt the immune system, making it harder for the body to fight infection or triggering unnecessary inflammation. It can also throw off metabolism, which may contribute to rising rates of obesity.

When it comes to mental health, artificial light interferes with mood regulation, helping explain why depression and anxiety are more common among people with irregular schedules.

The effects are wide-ranging and serious. According to the lab’s findings, our biology expects natural cycles of light and dark. When those cycles are broken, things can start to go wrong – quietly but powerfully.

What type of artificial light is most harmful?

The team’s research is now focused on pinpointing the specific wavelengths of light that cause the most damage.

The experts are also studying how long it takes for the body to recover from regular exposure to artificial light, and whether the time of day makes a difference in how the body responds to light.

“What is the contribution of time-of-day as a biological variable?” That’s one of the questions driving Dr. Nelson’s current work.

Turning research into better care

Beyond the lab, the scientists are running clinical trials to see if reducing exposure to artificial light in hospitals could help patients recover faster.

One trial is focused on people recovering from strokes. Another trial is tracking outcomes after cardiac surgery. Both patient groups often spend time in ICUs, where harsh fluorescent lighting is the norm throughout the day and night.

“Circadian rhythms are a fundamental aspect of biology, and much is known from foundational science about them,” noted Dr. Nelson. “However, little of this foundational science has been translated to clinical medicine.”

The WVU team is also testing whether night-shift nurses can benefit from wearing bright blue light visors at specific times to help reset their internal clocks. The results could open the door to better health for millions of workers with irregular hours – from factory employees to first responders.

New health insights about artificial light

Artificial light has changed how we live – and it’s also changed how our bodies function in ways we are only just beginning to understand.

Other studies have linked nighttime light exposure to increased risks of certain cancers, metabolic disorders, and mental health issues. Blue light from screens, in particular, has been shown to suppress melatonin production, making it harder to fall and stay asleep.

There’s growing evidence that long-term exposure to light at the wrong times may contribute to chronic inflammation and disrupt key hormonal cycles.

What the research from West Virginia University adds is a clearer picture of how these disruptions affect multiple systems at once – and why timing matters just as much as intensity.

The full study was published in the journal Brain Medicine.

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