Depressive hamsters shed light on human habits

Published on 25/07/2012 01:02

Too much light at night may contribute to depression, say
scientists.

Lack of darkness during sleeping hours can cause changes to the brain and depressive symptoms, according to animal studies. Researchers believe staying up might have the same impact on humans.

However, the evidence also suggests the effects can be reversed by switching the lights off at night. Hamsters used in the studies were exposed to dim light at night for four weeks. The lighting was equivalent to having a TV on in a darkened room.

Tests showed that hamsters exposed to light at night lacked energy, motivation and they showed depressive symptoms.