About children sleeping with lights, what consequences, and what’s advisable to do and what not to do.

Children sleeping with lights on can have several consequences, particularly related to eye health and overall sleep quality. Andrew Huberman highlights that children who sleep in rooms with a nightlight or dim lights are more prone to developing myopia, or nearsightedness. Conversely, those sleeping in completely dark environments have a significantly lower risk of this condition. This is because even dim light exposure can penetrate the eyelids and affect the eyes' melanopsin cells, which are sensitive to light and can influence eye development 1.

Other negative impacts of light exposure during nighttime include disruptions to mood-related systems in the brain, learning difficulties, and potential health issues like type 2 diabetes due to misregulated dopamine release. These effects stress the importance of minimizing light exposure, particularly blue light, between 10:00 PM and 4:00 AM for better sleep and health outcomes 1.

For children, it is advisable to wean them off nightlights and gradually encourage sleeping in darker environments. Creating a comfortable and secure setting for them in the absence of light can help them transition. In any environment, avoiding bright lights, especially overhead ones, late at night can improve sleep quality for all ages 2 2. Adults and children alike can benefit from early exposure to sunlight or brightly lit spaces in the morning, which assists in calibrating biological clocks 2.