Daily Fit Tip: Sleep in total darkness

How dark is your room at night? For me, not so much. I'm a little afraid to admit it but I might be, um, just the teensiest bit afraid of the dark ... hey, you, stop laughing! I'm serious. It goes back to my childhood when I watched the episode of Little House on the Prairie where Mary woke up and discovered she was blind. Ever since then, I need to have a little bit of light in my room when I sleep so that when I wake up, I can see something and prove to myself that, yet again, I woke up with my eyesight intact.

But as it turns out, you--and I--should be sleeping in total darkness most nights. It not only helps maintain a deep sleep but it can reduce our cancer risk too, according to Dr. Mercola. Why? It all comes down to your levels of Melatonin, which is affected by how much light you see. Melatonin, in turn, plays a role in Estrogen secretion, which plays a role in cancer, particularly breast cancer. In fact, totally blind women have a 36% less chance of developing cancer than those who aren't blind or who are visually impaired.

Dang. I guess this means I have to give up the nightlight.