How long does it take a hamster to recover from a shifted light schedule? Hamsters are active at predictable times each day. Changing their light cycle disrupts that rhythm.
You split ten hamsters into two groups and track their time on exercise wheels. After two days on the same schedule, one group gets a sudden shift in their light-dark cycle. The other group stays on the original schedule.
The shifted hamsters drop from about 150 minutes of wheel time to under 40 minutes. It takes roughly a week before they return to normal activity levels.
Hypothesis
The hypothesis is that hamsters do suffer from jet lag and will take time to adjust.
When a light cycle is disrupted, sleep and activity patterns take time to return to normal. To measure this recovery, you split ten hamsters into two groups and track their time on exercise wheels. After two days on the same schedule, one group gets a sudden shift in their light-dark cycle while the other stays on the original schedule. The shifted hamsters drop from about 150 minutes of wheel time to under 40 minutes. It takes roughly a week before they return to normal activity levels.
Hamsters are active at predictable times each day, but disrupting their light cycle shows just how much that steady rhythm depends on the inner system controlling it. You split ten hamsters into two groups and track their time on exercise wheels. After two days on the same schedule, one group gets a sudden shift in their light-dark cycle while the other stays on the original. As a result, the shifted hamsters drop from about 150 minutes of wheel time to under 40 minutes, and it takes roughly a week before they return to normal activity levels.
Method & Materials
You will need to observe the hamsters for 24 hours, divide them into two groups, and measure the time they spend on their exercise wheel.
You will need two closed rooms, two hamster cages with exercise wheels, ten hamsters, two lights with automatic timers, two dimmed red lights, two stopwatches, and four assistants.
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The results showed that the hamsters in the new time zone took time to adjust, but eventually recovered to their normal level of activity. The observation that stands out is that the hamsters in the new time zone spent less time on the exercise wheel from the third day onwards.
Why do this project?
This science project is interesting because it explores how animals adjust to different time zones, and how their body clocks are affected.
Also Consider
Variations of this experiment could include using different types of animals, such as cats or dogs, or exploring different activities such as sleeping and feeding times.
Full project details
Additional information and source material for this project are available below.
These videos explain the science behind this project and demonstrate key concepts used in the experiment.
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