Pregnant women should stay away from artificial light at bed time in a bid to reduce their risk of developing gestational diabetes, new research has shown.
Five in every 100 women in the UK are affected by the condition according to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and it can lead to complications and health issues for their unborn child.
Research published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Maternal Fetal Medicine has shown the link between women who are exposed to greater levels of light in the three hours before sleep and the increased risk of develop diabetes during their pregnancy.
The scientists believe the exposure to light at night suppresses levels of a hormone called melatonin, which disrupts the body’s internal clock, and therefore impacts various metabolic processes, such as regulation of blood sugar levels.
They suggest that if women are able to dim artificial light, rather than being near bright artificial light, there could be a benefit to their health and that if their baby.
Dr Minjee Kim, who led the study at Northwestern University, in Illinois, USA, and her team worked with 714 women, who were in their second trimester and wore light sensors around their wrists and kept sleep diaries.
The results reveal 16 of the 247 women who only spent about 1.7 hours in dim light developed gestational diabetes, compared with 12 of those who spent about 2.2 hours in dim light, and three of those who spent about 2.6 hours in dim light.
Dr Kim said: “Women who spent the least time in dim light had fivefold greater odds of developing gestational diabetes compared to those who spent the most time in dim light."
The researchers say the link was evident even when they took into account factors such as age, sleep quality and duration, body mass index and how much light participants were exposed to during the day.
Dr Kim added that women can help themselves by "Starting three hours before bedtime, try to dim the lights whenever possible".
She added that pregnant women should avoid light from mobile phones and other electronic devices during this time, also.
“Try to put them away if possible, but if not, at least try to dim the screen or put them on the night mode," Dr Kim said.
