“Light Sleeping” Can Make You Fat!

Bed Time Sleeping Habits

We all have our little peculiarities when it comes to our bedtime routines don’t we? Some of us have a “thing” about not allowing our feet to poke out of the end of the duvet; others are very fussy about the type of sheets which they sleep on while still others have strict rules about the window dressings. Many people like their bedroom to have a certain amount of light and air coming in as they sleep and this in itself is just fine…as long as you’re not getting too much light!

Research Links Light To Weight Gain

Recent research has highlighted a correlation between the amount of light in the bedrooms of women polled and their weight. The study found that out of 113,000 women who were questioned on their sleeping habits, the ones who were overweight were also the ones who preferred to allow light into their rooms. Whether this extra light was coming into the room due to the window dressings or due to perhaps sleeping in the daytime due to shift work was not established but the study has shown that sleeping in anything less than total darkness could put you at risk of obesity.

 

The reasons behind this discovery are thought to be linked to body clock; how we sleep at night is directly linked to how we manage our food during the day. A study on mice that were exposed to even a very low level of light while they slept resulted in researchers noting that during waking hours, the mice changed the timings of their meals. This shift caused the mice to gain weight despite the fact that they were not eating any more food or calories than before the light had been added to their sleeping routines.

Sleep In The Dark

Could this be behind your problem with weight? Do you notice that although you don’t overeat, you’re still not the weight you would like to be? If so, then it’s time to change your habits!

Sleeping in complete darkness may not be your ideal situation for a variety of reasons but for your health it is better to make the adjustment and you may soon see a change for the better in your eating habits.

Light Proof Your Sleeping Area

Invest in a blackout blind if your curtains are thin…or if you are a shift worker who needs to sleep during the day. Ensure that there are no lights on which are close to your bedroom and which could “pollute” your light-free bedroom environment. Watch out for the displays on electronic equipment…remember those mice? They had only the smallest amount of light introduced to their environments and they gained weight. If you can’t get rid of light totally, you might think about wearing a sleep mask…they’re not just a silly or fun accessory you know!

It’s worth checking out every avenue in the battle to get to your ideal weight so if you are following a special diet to try and lose weight, make these changes to your bedtime routine and see if it makes a difference!