Scientists shine light on prolonged menstrual cycles

Night Light May Reduce Menstrual Cycles

Abnormally long menstrual cycles (35 days or longer) can wreak havoc with contraception and conception by making it difficult to predict ovulation.

But researchers at the University of California in San Diego have found that exposure to significant light during the night (a bare 100-watt bulb, roughly 3 feet away) may shorten extended menstrual cycles by a week or more.

For women in search of a shorter cycle, this might be worth trying at home, says Katharine Rex, research associate at the University of California in San Diego and lead study author. “Begin light therapy about the 13th day of your cycle and continue for five nights,” she suggests.

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