LED street light causing permanent jet lag

New streetlights installed on British  roads could harm people’s eyesight and disrupt their sleep, Public Health England (PHE) has warned.

Councils across the country hope replacing existing bulbs in streetlights with new light-emitting diodes (LEDs) will help save money and reduce emissions.

Authorities in London, Gloucestershire, Lancashire, Cheshire and Dundee, among others, have spent millions of pounds upgrading their lights.

But PHE warned the powerful new bulbs could interfere with people’s natural sleeping patterns, resulting in a feeling similar to “permanent jet lag”.

“Humans have a natural body clock that has an approximate 24-hour cycle. However, light is the main trigger to ensure that we stay entrained,” said John O’Hagan, head of the PHE’s Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards.

“It is likely that bright light, of almost any wavelength, could have an impact. Disruption of the circadian system can have a major impact on sleep quality and daytime alertness, which in turn impacts wellbeing and safety. It is a bit like having permanent jet lag.”

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/ed-streetlight-bright-sleep-damage-eyesight-public-health-england-a8285981.html?fbclid=IwAR1kZ8tSG455c8b38Xeeyi6mTWSlsIGCZO9H_CVCD7aqG7pEehw5teXpVRY