In a message dated 8/2/02 2:55:19 PM, [log in to unmask] writes:

>I'm also curious about the paleo side of this.  Why
>> wouldn't paleo man hunt
>> during moonlight hours?  Isn't it easier to catch
>> wild animals when they're
>> asleep?

He would have been eaten. Other carnivores had much better night vision, were
faster and had much bigger teeth. Plus we wouldn't have been able to see to
aim our spears, etc.

According to the research presented in Lights Out -- when we sleep is just as
important as how much we sleep -- melatonin is light sensitive -- need a
certain amount of melatonin production in order to produce enough prolactin
-- which has to happen in the dark -- excess weight is associated with
daytime prolactin. Prolactin in the daytime will suppress leptin -- which
reads to your brain as no fat and ups your cravings for sugar and makes fat
storage easier. Ideally one should awake with cortisol rising and a healthy
appetite. Not sleeping in sync with the sun (from September - May) creates
havoc with our hormonal interface with the world. We're not hungry in the
morning, but want to eat at night. Prolactin in the daytime makes us
autoimmune as well which I guess keep the makers of antihistamines and
arthritis meds, etc. very happy. While no doubt diet is important in
explaining a lot of the chronic diseases we suffer in the past 75 years, it
may not be the most important factor. It has been less than 100 years that
we've been able to so completely change night into day with the electric
light bulb. In the past 10 years the NIH has been piling up the data
documenting the importance of circadian and seasonal biorhythms for every
aspect of our health and well being. Oddly enough Ayuvedic medicine connected
weight problems with time of sleep thousands of years ago.

I admit that I too am a night owl -- even after reading Lights Out -- I can't
seem to change my clock. I too have struggled with my weight. It would be
interesting to do a survey -- even if just the people on this list -- re the
connection between time, duration and quality of sleep.

Namaste, Liz
<A HREF="http://www.csun.edu/~ecm59556/Healthycarb/index.html">
http://www.csun.edu/~ecm59556/Healthycarb/index.html</A>