Will switching the light on to go to the toilet kill you?

You may recall reading somewhere else that switching the light on to go to the toilet in the middle of the night might cause changes in your body that can lead to cancer.

Yes this was actually reported in a leading UK newspaper (we leave it to you to work out which august publication was responsible) DESPITE the fact that the research on which the article was based did not ever make such a claim.

It seems that there IS a link people who work in night shifts and a slightly raised risk of cancer. For this reason, the scientists behind the research looked at the effect of light patterns on body cell activity in animals. They suggested that 'prolonged exposure' of night-shift workers to artificial light during the hours when they would normally be asleep may be one possible explanation for the higher levels of tumours in this group.

Simply switching on the light when you go to the bathroom is NOT going to cause a cancer tumour.

However trying to negotiate your way to the bathroom in the dark could result in serious injury or even death if you miss your step. So this is definitely NOT recommended.

This article was published on Fri 25 June 2010