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Myopia and night-time lighting during sleep in children and adults
M Chapell1, B Sullivan, S Saridakis
1Department of Psychology, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA. Chapell@rowan.edu
Insights
Sleeping with a night light in infancy was linked to a higher incidence of myopia in adults. However, infant sleep lighting conditions did not significantly affect myopia development in children.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Environmental Health
Background:
- Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a growing public health concern.
- The role of environmental factors, such as sleep lighting, in myopia development is under investigation.
- Understanding early-life influences on vision is crucial for prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between sleep lighting conditions in the first two years of life and the subsequent development of myopia.
- To differentiate the impact of early-life sleep lighting on myopia in children versus adults.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 469 participants (252 children, 217 adults).
- Retrospective parental reporting of sleep lighting conditions (darkness, night light, room light, hall light) during the first two years of life.
- Myopia status assessed after age two.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in myopia incidence was found among children based on their infant sleep lighting.
- Adults who slept with a night light during infancy showed a significantly higher likelihood of being myopic compared to those who slept in other lighting conditions.
- Infant sleep lighting did not appear to influence myopia development in the studied children.
Conclusions:
- Nocturnal light exposure in infancy may be a risk factor for myopia development in adulthood.
- Early-life sleep lighting conditions may have differential long-term effects on refractive error development.
- Further prospective research is warranted to confirm these findings and elucidate mechanisms.
Abstract:
This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between different lighting conditions experienced during sleep in the first -two years of life and development of myopia after age two as reported retrospectively by parents in a total of 469 individuals, including 252 children aged 2-16 yr., and 217 adults aged 17-40 yr. There were no significant differences in incidence of myopia in children who had slept from 0-2 yr. in darkness, with a night light, room light, or hall light. Adults who were reported by their parents to have slept with a night light on from 0-2 yr. were significantly more likely to be myopic than those who were reported to have slept from 0-2 yr. in any other lighting condition.