Light at night and health

Education Series by Randy Hebert, MD, Medical Director

We have all heard of the importance of a “good night’s sleep.”

A recent study demonstrated that a good night’s sleep means minimizing the light we keep on when we sleep.

Having light on at night seems to bother sleep, even when we don’t realize it. Poor sleep is associated with worse heart health.

There are many reasons to keep a light on at night—e.g. to see where we are going when we get up. However, if possible, it is best to sleep in the dark and turn on a light only when needed.

Windred, Daniel P., et al. “Light exposure at night and cardiovascular disease incidence.” JAMA network open 8.10 (2025): e2539031-e2539031.