Light exposure before bedtime may be linked to impaired glucose regulation in non-pregnant adults, according to growing evidence.
According to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, gestational diabetes affects 4 to 5 out of every 100 pregnant women.
Reading or scrolling under the covers until late hours are among the common bedtime habits. Are we hearing a “Yes”? Well, this is especially for all the pregnant ladies out there. According to some researchers, pregnant women should reduce these habits to avoid their risk of developing gestational diabetes. According to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, gestational diabetes affects 4 to 5 of every 100 pregnant women. It can cause complications, including health issues for the baby if it is not well controlled. Pregnant women who are exposed to higher levels of light in the three hours before sleep appear to be more likely to develop diabetes during their pregnancy, according to new research published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Maternal Fetal Medicine.
Dr Minjee Kim, the lead author of the study at Northwestern University said, “Light at night may be an unrecognised risk for acquiring a serious pregnancy complication.” Earlier, researchers discovered that people who work shifts are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes and that greater exposure to outdoor artificial light at night has also been linked to an increased risk of the condition.
Light exposure at night is thought to suppress melatonin levels, disrupt the body’s internal clock, and impact various metabolic processes such as blood sugar regulation. Kim further said, “While we can’t prove it from this observational study, similar mechanisms may play a role in pregnant women.”
Light exposure before bedtime may be linked to impaired glucose regulation in non-pregnant adults, according to growing evidence. However, little is known about the effect of evening light exposure on the risk of developing gestational diabetes, a common pregnancy complication with serious health consequences for both mother and child. This is one of the first multi-site studies to look at the effect of light exposure before sleep on the risk of developing gestational diabetes.
“It’s alarming,” Kim said, adding, “Gestational diabetes is known to increase obstetric complications, and the mother’s risk of diabetes, heart disease and dementia. The offspring also are more likely to have obesity and hypertension as they grow up.”
Gestational diabetes is on the rise in the United States and around the world. Approximately 4.5% of first-time pregnant women with a baby born between 2011 and 2013 developed gestational diabetes, which is expected to rise by 3.4% per three-year period until 2019. In 2020, the rate of gestational diabetes in the United States was 7.8 % of all births.
