Dimming Lights At Night Brightens Mood During Day

The benefit of pouring the wine is still in debate, but dimming the lights at night seems to provide a definite uplift in mood and improve thought processes. At least for mice. A Johns Hopkins news release reports that researchers at the school are convinced that chronic exposure to bright light – even the kind of light in our own living rooms, elevates levels of a certain stress hormone and can result in depression and lower cognitive function. The research was originally intended to reveal if mice suffered from “Seasonal Affected Disorder” and if they would benefit from light therapy, as do many people. What it did reveal was that mice whose days were lengthened with artificial light tend to develop depressive behaviors, have trouble learning tasks, and show less interest in play than mice on a natural light cycle. The animals also have increased levels of cortisol, a stress hormone linked to learning issues. Want good news? Treatment with Prozac “mitigated the symptoms, restoring the mice to their previous healthy moods and levels of learning, and bolstering the case that their learning issues were caused by depression.” Why to we care? Because the problem is related to certain light-responsive cells in the eyes of mice, and humans happen to have the same cells, meaning the same problem. Read more from Johns Hopkins.