I kept waking up 2 hours before my alarm because of this common bedroom mistake — here's how I fixed it instantly
I kept waking up hours before my alarm, until a new study highlighted the hidden culprit that was stopping me from sleeping. Here's the $5 item that helps me stay asleep longer.
A recent study from Tulane University has revealed that light exposure from electronic devices can cause early morning awakenings and disrupt sleep. The researchers found that people with brighter bedrooms at night slept about 48 minutes less each night, compared to those who slept in total darkness. This reduced sleep duration can lead to cardiovascular damage over time.
The study also found that exposure to light at night suppresses melatonin, which in turn leads to shorter sleep duration and impaired heart health. The culprit in the author's case was a laptop charger emitting blue light, which they had previously overlooked despite using a sleep mode on their phone. The author discovered the solution when they noticed the glowing charger light disrupting their sleep when they first tried to turn off the bedroom light.
The study's accompanying editorial recommends simple and inexpensive measures to combat nighttime light exposure, such as using blackout curtains, warm-colored bedside lighting, and covering small standby LEDs on household electronics. The author found that LED light-blocking stickers, available for $4.98, effectively blocked the light from their charger and other electronic devices, eliminating their early morning awakenings.
Written by urgent.news from Tom's Guide's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
