BODY. Lessons From A Sea Turtle.
As a born raised Buffalo, NY girl, it has taken some getting used to traveling to Florida to visit my parents for the holidays. After eight years, I have grown accustomed to the white Christmas of the sand-sort. And I have also grown my appreciation for learning about the climate of Florida that goes way beyond my childhood impressions of golf courses, Disney World and alligators.
My parents live a stone’s throw from the Atlantic Ocean, and over the years I have gotten to hear exciting reports from my Mom on the changing ecosystem of her new backyard: sharks caught on a fisherman’s line, hunters with metal detectors looking for gold from old ship wrecks on the Treasure Coast, the change of the hue of blue of the water based on the season. This was definitely not the suburbia I grew up in.
And then, there came the learning about sea turtles.
My Mom shared with me that there are strict laws on the beach about no lights during their nesting season. Why, I naively wondered? Because it disorients and discourages females from their nighttime nesting on the beach as they have done for millennia. What’s more, the hatchlings survival rates have plummeted as their groomed instinct has been to go to the brightest horizon - historically over the ocean - but now … swimming pools, back yards and other areas flooded with artificial lighting lure them in to their unnatural habitats (1).
If artificial lighting is throwing off the sea turtle’s natural instincts and reproductive success, what about humans who bathe in it constantly?
A few enLIGHTening facts on artificial lighting and the health impacts on humans. Turns out, we may not be so different than turtles:
disruption of circadian rhythm (ie, poor sleep and difficulty waking in the morning - a complaint I see VERY often) (2)
increased susceptibility to infectious diseases, such as COVID-19 (2)
correlation with higher rates of cancer of all sorts (3)
increased insulin resistance and higher glucose levels in the evening, potentiating type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome (4)
A study in China showed those with the highest levels of exposure to outdoor light at night had a 43% greater risk of developing cerebrovascular disease vs. participants with the lowest levels of exposure (5)
And yes, just like sea turtles, it can affect the reproductive viability of the human species (6)
I found it very entertaining that one 2023 study writes, “Excessive exposure to [artificial light at night] significantly deteriorates the functioning of biological clocks in animals and humans who experience sleep disturbance and serious health and behavioral problems” (2).
Just checking that we all are aware that humans are animals, right? Or are we so far removed that we have forgotten that humans, too, are a part of this natural world and its rhythms?
Don’t even get me started on how this is the primary source of lighting in all hospitals (some surgical/procedure areas yes - but everywhere?!), schools and now many homes bathed in LED lights that are affecting our hormones and natural cycle on more levels than we likely even comprehend at this point in time. And night shifts? For essential work … yes. But the grocery store at 2 AM? I see the worst lab values and health outcomes in my night shift working or night shift swinging patients (prediabetes/diabetes, low testosterone, menstrual irregularities, migraines, fatigue, etc.). When living in Europe, I disliked the inconvenience of the grocery store closing at 7 PM. But I loved it for the health and quality of life for those who work there.
Don’t ignore these simple lessons from the sea turtle. Leading up to the darkest days in late Fall and early Winter, it is vital to our human/animal health to make like a sea turtle and limit our exposure to artificial lighting for better health outcomes across the board.
Citations:
Sea Turtle Conservancy. https://conserveturtles.org/information-sea-turtles-threats-artificial-lighting/
Wang T, Kaida N, Kaida K. Effects of outdoor artificial light at night on human health and behavior: A literature review. Environ Pollut. 2023;323:121321. doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121321
Al-Naggar RA, Anil Sh. Artificial Light at Night and Cancer: Global Study. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2016;17(10):4661-4664. Published 2016 Oct 1. doi:10.22034/apjcp.2016.17.10.4661
Baek JH, Zhu Y, Jackson CL, Park YM. Artificial Light at Night and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Diabetes Metab J. 2024;48(5):847-863. doi:10.4093/dmj.2024.0237
Newsroom: https://newsroom.heart.org/news/more-exposure-to-artificial-bright-outdoor-nighttime-light-linked-to-higher-stroke-risk#:~:text=%E2%80%9COur%20study%20suggests%20that%20higher,the%20world%2C%E2%80%9D%20Wang%20said.
Liu PY. Light pollution: time to consider testicular effects. Front Toxicol. 2024;6:1481385. Published 2024 Sep 16. doi:10.3389/ftox.2024.1481385
