I'm Elly Wilkeson, got minute?

Our homes glow at night.

Lightbulbs, TVs and now computers, E-readers, tablets and smart phones expose people to an increasing amount of light after dark.

And the color of that light may influence the mood and brain function.

That's according to a study in the journal of Neural Science.

Researchers looked the role of speciallize photo sensitive cells in the #retina#.

The cells called IPRGC are responsible for regulating circadian rhythms.

And recent evidence suggests these cells may also play a role in mood and cognition.

To test how nocturnal light in color affects mood, the researchers expose hamsters to night time conditions for no light, red light, white light or blue light for 4 weeks each. 

Hamsters exposed to red light at night had fewest brain changes associated with the pression in human while blue and white light had the worst effects on mood.

So late night work email may not be the only thing taking you off, the blue glow of your machine may also be getting you down.

The best by, shut down and get some shut eye.

Thanks for the minute, for Scientific American 60 Seconds Science.

I'm Elly Wilkeson.