Light Pollution - Ponzi or Problem?

Hibearnate was created with a key goal in mind: Tackle the growing issue of light pollution affecting our sleep. Throughout the process of developing Hibernate we occasionally get push back that light pollution is not a problem either in general, or for sleep. Whilst we feel strongly that this is silly, we opted to put our scienctist hats on to attempt to validate our hypothesis. Our first port of call was investigating whether or not conducting our own study was feasible - we quickly realised that cost made this option prohibitive. So, we opted to take a look too see what research already existed.

Turns out, the research is pretty clear. The BBC coined the issue: “The Plague of Light in our Bedrooms”. Oxford warn of the dangers of night-time light pollution. Harvard link night time light exposure to a 50% increase in cardiovascular risk. CNN Science linked light pollution to sleep disorders, depression and obesity - saying it’s getting worse! The American Heart Association linked light pollution whilst sleeping to a heightened risk of cardiovascular disease and suppressed melatonin. Imperial College London ask the public to ‘wake up to the importance of sleep’. The non-profit DarkSky linked light pollution to short-term memory loss and alertness. Research sponsored, in-part, by the DOE, NCN and ERC linked urban light pollution to impaired sleep and ‘stress on the visual system’. The UK House of Lords, lead a committee on neglected pollutants, focusing on light pollutions effect on human health. Jefferson Health say that light pollution has got 10% worse over the last decade and linked light in the bedroom with profound negative effects on sleep patterns. The Sleep Foundation, mirror previous research, explaining lights affect on melatonin production and your circadian rhythm. With a focus on the US,  Pankaj C Patel (Out of Villanova University), focused on evidence between light pollution and insufficient sleep - quantifying the effects per unit of night time light. Stanford urge people, especially shift workers, to limit their sleep-time light exposure……..Need we go on?