Are you afraid of the dark?

I make a point of stopping by http://www.optimumperformancetraining.blogspot.com/ to see what is going on. In addition to great workouts he usually has a link to something health and lifestyle related. The blog is developed by James Fitzgerald (aka OPT). I'm lucky enough to count James as a good friend. Anyway the other day he had a link to this study

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2010/09/30/1008734107.abstract

The summary is "These results suggest that low levels of light at night disrupt the timing of food intake and other metabolic signals, leading to excess weight gain. These data are relevant to the coincidence between increasing use of light at night and obesity in humans."

The study links the use of some light while sleeping to disrupting circadian regulation of homeostasis. This study reinforces the importance of sleeping in complete darkness as opposed to allowing any light in the room. From a lifestyle perspective it also demonstrates the importance of keeping a regular sleep routine. In addition to the latest research examining sleep in relation to obesity, other research is examing the role of sleep in concentration and memory. For instance, sleep deprivation has been linked to driving accidents and memory consolidation has been linked to different phases of the sleep cycle.

No doubt about it we need sleep to perform at our best! How many hours of sleep do you get per night? And are you afraid of the dark? Do you have trouble sleeping?