The study was conducted by Joshua Gooley, health experts from Harvard Medical School in Boston . In experiments conducted five consecutive days, the Gooley involving 116 participants aged between 18-30 years.
The participants were divided into 2 groups, one of which is conditioned to be in a room lit for 8 hours before bedtime. The other group was placed in a dim room with the same duration of 8 hours.
Results of blood samples taken every 30 minutes showed the hormone melatonin production fell 50 percent in participants who are in the room light. These hormones regulate the biological clock associated with the cycle between sleep and waking.
In addition to triggering sleepiness, melatonin is also associated with some types of serious illnesses. Melatonin receptors located in the nerve can be called to increase the risk of cancer and type two diabetes if its activity is reduced.
"The results provide a big impact for workers who are exposed to light throughout the night last night and nap when the sun shines brightly," Gooley said as quoted by the AP on Monday (1/17/2011).
However, Gooley can not explain with certainty the relationship between melatonin receptor activity with an increased risk of cancer and diabetes. The mechanism that causes the two interconnected new will be revealed in subsequent research Gooley.