Light from screens and other artificial sources could disrupt teens' sleep and mental health

New research further underscores how artificial light at night — from non-natural sources such as laptop and phone screens — could disrupt sleep patterns and increase the risk of mental disorders among adolescents. Researchers looked at data from more than 10,000 individuals — whose median age was 15 — and found that non-white adolescents and individuals from lower-income families tended to have more exposure to artificial light at night. Those with the highest exposure to such light also reported going to bed later and sleeping for less time than those with the least exposure to artificial light after dark. At the same time, higher exposure to such artificial light was also associated with mood disorders, such as anxiety, certain phobias, and depression.