Insufficient daily morning light exposure contributes to teenagers not getting enough sleep, concludes a new study.
"As teenagers spend more time indoors, they miss out on essential morning light needed to stimulate the body's 24-hour biological system, which regulates the sleep/wake cycle," reports Mariana Figueiro, Ph.D., Assistant Professor and Program Director at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Lighting Research Center (LRC) and lead researcher on the new study.
US Survey Reveals 75pct Teen Girls Content With Bodies
Critics say the models are dangerously underweight and have charged that the fashion industry's preference for waif-like women has led to models engaging in obsessive dieting
Critics say the models are dangerously underweight and have charged that the fashion industry's preference for waif-like women has led to models engaging in obsessive dieting
In the study just published in Neuroendocrinology Letters, Dr. Figueiro and LRC Director Dr. Mark Rea found that eleven 8th grade students who wore special glasses to prevent short-wavelength (blue) morning light from reaching their eyes experienced a 30-minute delay in sleep onset by the end of the 5-day study.
"If you remove blue light in the morning, it delays the onset of melatonin, the hormone that indicates to the body when it's nighttime," explains Dr. Figueiro. "Our study shows melatonin onset was delayed by about 6 minutes each day the teens were restricted from blue light. Sleep onset typically occurs about 2 hours after melatonin onset."
Teenage Pregnancy can Have Positive Effect on Youths' Lives
Teenage pregnancy can have a positive effect on the lives of young people, according to the authors of a new study.
Teenage pregnancy can have a positive effect on the lives of young people, according to the authors of a new study.
TAN
Canadian Teens Will be Taught About Safe Sex by Wonder Vag, Captain Condom
The Middlesex-London health authority in Canada has devised a new way to teach youngsters about safe sex - it has come up with a sex-ed game, Adventures in Sex City.
The Middlesex-London health authority in Canada has devised a new way to teach youngsters about safe sex - it has come up with a sex-ed game, Adventures in Sex City.
Brit Teen Girls Eating Junk Food Risk Long-term Health Complications
A new survey has revealed that teenage girls are increasingly living on junk food, thereby putting their long-term health at risk.
A new survey has revealed that teenage girls are increasingly living on junk food, thereby putting their long-term health at risk.
