“Watch all the episodes in one sitting?”…Effect of ‘watching all night’ on the eyes and brain

It’s been around 10 years since Netflix introduced the ‘drive by’ method of releasing the entire season at once. Since then, other online video services (OTT) have also adopted this approach, and viewing behavior has also changed. Viewers who enjoy content while staying up all night will win. If you finish work in one sitting, the curiosity about the end will disappear, but the problem is that fatigue remains. Watching all night, in particular, puts a strain on our eyes and brain.

You should refrain from looking at your smartphone in the dark｜Source: Getty Image Bank

Concentrating on a TV screen, computer monitor, smartphone, etc. for a long time reduces the number of blinks. Adults blink about 20 times a minute when they are not paying attention to something. Close your eyes about once every 3 seconds. However, when you focus on something nearby, the number of eye blinks is greatly reduced to less than 10 times per minute.

Haidak ophthalmology counseling doctor Lee Yoo-rim (B&Bit Gangnam Bright World Ophthalmology) said, “Lack of blinking can dry up tears and cause dry eye syndrome.” You need to shut up and rest.” “At this time, if you close your eyes and turn your eyes slowly, you can stabilize the tear layer and quickly relax the eye muscles,” he said.

In particular, it is forbidden to turn off the lights in the room while watching. This is because it is more affected by blue light, which is the blue visible light emitted by the screens of electronic devices. Haidak ophthalmology counseling doctor Kim Yong-hyun (B&Bit Gangnam Bright World Ophthalmology) said, “Our eyes receive more blue light in a dark place than in a bright place even if it is the same light. Blue light has the property of scattering light, “When they are exposed to light, the muscles of the eyes continue to move to adjust focus. This quickly tires the eyes and causes glare, myopia, flashes and dry eyes.”

Director Kim also added, “If you watch a smartphone or TV for a long time until late at night, the secretion of a sleep-inducing hormone is reduced due to blue light, so you cannot have a good night’s sleep. sleep even if you are lying down, and your biorhythm is broken.”

In addition, even one day of not getting enough sleep can damage the brain. According to a paper published in the international journal ‘Sleep’ by a research team at Uppsala University in Sweden, tumor marker molecules increased in the blood in people who lacked sleep.

The research team divided 15 test subjects into two groups, one group got a full night’s sleep, and the other group got eight hours of sleep. A blood test the next morning showed a 20% increase in levels of nerve-specific enolase (NSE) and calcium-binding protein B (S-100B) in those who did not sleep. NSE is a marker for the diagnosis of neuroendocrine tumors, and S-100B is a marker for the diagnosis of brain tumors.

The research team said, “Both molecules are traditionally increased in conditions where the brain is damaged.” “Lack of sleep increases the risk of developing neurological diseases, while getting enough sleep can protect brain health.”

Support = Haidak Counseling Doctor Lee Yoo-rim (B&Bit Gangnam Bright World Eye Clinic ophthalmologist), Haidak Counseling Doctor Kim Yong-hyun (B&Bit Gangnam Bright World Ophthalmology Specialist)