The disadvantages of sleeping with a light source
To find sleep, each person has their own habits or techniques. Some cannot fall asleep without having the sound of television in the background, when others feel obliged to sleep with a small light source.
A meta-analysis published in February 2025 in the journal Annals of Medicine On the nocturnal artificial lighting, has shown that it could disturb the circadian rhythm, the internal clock that helps our body adapt to the day/night cycle, but could also cause metabolic diseases or mood disorders.
The benefits of sleeping in total darkness
All the harmful sides of sleeping with a light source prompted researchers to be interested in the effects of darkness on our sleep. In a study published in April 2025 in the journal Direct science, An international research team discovered that sleeping in the dark had many benefits.
Indeed, if darkness is often associated with a world filled with imaginary monsters, pushing certain people to sleep with a light source, it turns out that sleeping in total darkness could improve our mental health.
Researchers explain that “The lower the room, the lower the depression rates and the better mental health,” reports Popular Mechanics. In addition, the results of the study have shown that sleeping in darkness promotes healing, restoration and balance, by resetting our brain.
Sleeping in darkness promotes dreams
According to David Eagleman, doctor of neuroscience at Stanford University in San Francisco, sleeping in darkness promotes the inner vision of the brain, which is linked to imagination, thoughts, memories and dreams.
Dr. Eagleman explains that when light drops, the brain area dedicated to vision is reduced, while those related to hearing, touch and smell take up more space. This suggests that darkness does not only change our perceptions, it also reorganizes the way our senses work.
In addition, he indicates that dreaming is necessary to “occupy” the visual cortex when it is dark, because without that, our imagination and our thoughts would decrease. He also adds that dreams play an important role in consolidating our memories, managing our emotions and improving learning.
Source: Popular Mechanics
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