Sleeping in a room with even dim artificial light, such as the glow of the television or a night light, can cause depression according to a new study.

Your late night TV habit is depressing (literally):

“In the study, researchers separated hamsters into two groups: one group experienced a standard light/dark cycle, while the other group was exposed to a dim light at night–on par with city lights outside your window or the glow of a TV screen. After four weeks, hamsters who slept with some light showed signs of depression. (Depressed hamsters? Yup. Researchers tell by observing the rodents’ interest in sugar water.)

The reason? The sleep hormone melatonin helps brain neurons function properly. “But the brain can’t produce melatonin if it detects light,” says study author Tracy Bedrosian, a Ph.D. candidate in neuroscience at The Ohio State University.”

The problem is exacerbated by watching Terms of Endearment late at night (not really, but maybe).

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Jeff Cormier

Dad, husband, dog lover, law, write at DigitalDeconstruction.com and other online destinations, forever immature. It's the me that I let you know.

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