Powered by the Evidence-based Practice Centers
Evidence Reports All of EHC
Evidence Reports All of EHC

SHARE:

FacebookTwitterFacebookPrintShare

Effects of shade on room light melatonin suppression?

NOMINATED TOPIC | January 17, 2014
Briefly describe a specific question, or set of related questions, about a health care test or treatment that this program should consider.

Effects of shade on room light melatonin suppression?

Describe why this topic is important.

Studies have established room lights suppress melatonin, disrupting the body's circadian rhythm. This disrupts the body's circadian rhythm, increasing sleep latency and makes it harder to wake up in the morning

No study has examined the effects of room lights with a shade. In most UK households, ceiling lights and bedroom lamps have a shade. A shade dims the light in a room.

The patients would be the general public, as the majority of people are exposed to room light in the evening.

The main benefit would be improving sleep health, by stopping the suppression of Melatonin and improving a person's circadian clock. Increasing Melatonin has a host of other benefits, like anti-alzheimer's, longevity and anti-cancer effects among others. It could aid people with delayed phase sleep disorder or other circadian and sleep disorders.

How will an answer to your research question be used or help inform decisions for you or your group?

Establish whether exposure to shaded room lights impacts melatonin levels. With this information, the public can be guided on whether they should minimise exposure to light bulbs and room light in the evening.

If shaded room light does suppress melatonin, this could also aid research on new bulbs with adjustable color temperature and luminosity.

Other Information About You: (optional)
Please choose a description that best describes your role or perspective: (you may select more than one category if appropriate)
Patient
If you are you making a suggestion on behalf of an organization, please state the name of the organization
Please tell us how you heard about the Effective Health Care Program
Google
Page last reviewed November 2017
Page originally created January 2014

Internet Citation: Effects of shade on room light melatonin suppression?. Content last reviewed November 2017. Effective Health Care Program, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD.
https://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/get-involved/nominated-topics/effects-of-shade-on-room-light-melatonin-suppression-3

Select to copy citation