Jan 062012
Sleeping in complete darkness may help prevent weight gain and depression, research suggests. Over eight weeks, mice exposed to dim lighting at night—the equivalent of leaving on a television, computer, or adjacent bathroom light—gained 50 percent more weight than mice in total darkness, despite similar caloric intakes and activity levels. And hamsters subjected to nighttime light experienced a rise in depressive behaviors. The light may throw off the biological clock and increase nighttime eating, says researcher Laura Fonken, a doctoral student at Ohio State University in Columbus.