Sleep

Artificial Light Could Be Making You Sick

Life on earth evolved in the presence of light. We depend on the sun to provide energy for the plants we eat, to warm our planet to a safe temperature and to regulate our sleep-wake cycles. However, most life also requires a similar ratio of dark. Humans in ancient times sought the shade at midday and enjoyed long hours of dark at night. However, times have has changed. We now live in a world of perpetual artificial light, which is not just constantly present but also a different wavelength than natural light. New research suggests that this may be harming our health in more ways than previously realized.

The Dangers of Artificial Light

Artificial light does not produce the same frequencies of light as light from the sun. It is usually brighter, a higher color temperature and higher intensity than light found in our natural environment. How does this affect our health? According to researchers, it can have a huge effect on the circadian rhythm. Our retinas sense light and pass signals to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus, which in turn regulates our circadian rhythm and a variety of biochemical and cellular processes.

The effects of disrupting the circadian rhythm extend far beyond sleep. People who have a disrupted circadian rhythm from artificial light suffer from an increase in a variety of health risks including inflammation, immune overreaction and even bone and muscle loss. An out-of-sync circadian rhythm can also cause dermatological disorders and autoimmune disease.

Light and Aging

While constant artificial light has long been known to affect health in a variety of ways, new research suggests that it may affect us in a much more visible way as well. Artificial light appears to accelerate aging, both externally and internally. Animal studies suggest that not only may people exposed to high levels of man-made light develop fine lines and wrinkles more quickly, they may also have accelerated aging of their bones, muscles and organs. In studies, the mice exposed to artificial light 24 hours a day aged much more quickly.

While this is bad news for many modern people, there is good news as well. The mice in the studies partially recovered from the effects of the accelerated aging within two weeks of being returned to a normal sleep-wake cycle. If you are feeling over-tired and generally older than you should feel, you may be able to improve your appearance and health by reducing light exposure and stabilizing your circadian rhythm.

Is It Possible to Escape Artificial Light?

The problem for many modern people is that reducing light exposure can be a difficult task. We have televisions and devices that can be turned off, but these are not the only contributors to an increasingly light world. Many streetlights are high color temperature LED lights, which cause a huge range of negative health effects. In fact, the American Medical Association has warned communities not to use high color temperature streetlights, although many areas continue to do so.

In addition, light pollution is a major issue in many parts of the world. Even if you turn off your own sources of artificial light, the world is simply lighter and brighter than ever before. Sometimes there is no escaping this pervasive light.

Restoring Your Own Natural Rhythm

Even if you cannot completely escape ambient light in the environment, there are a few ways that you can encourage a healthy circadian rhythm. Turn off lights in your house at night, including devices and electronics that produce light. Go to sleep and wake at roughly the same time so your body can develop a set sleep pattern. Close your curtains and blinds to keep light pollution outside. You can also take a melatonin supplement in the evening to help your body prepare for a good night of restful sleep.

Artificial light is everywhere and may present a danger to the public health. However, there are ways to reduce and compensate for the negative health effects of this light. Getting your circadian rhythm on track is the first step to living a healthier and happier life.

Nighttime Awakening: Are Two Sleeps Better Than One?

Aug 03 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Most modern people accept that the “correct” way to sleep is to go to bed at night and stay asleep until morning. In fact, waking at night and being unable to go back to sleep is often considered a sleep disorder. However, there is evidence that humans did not always consider a full night of uninterrupted sleep ideal. Choosing to engage in “two sleeps” may be a common pattern in human history—and a healthy pattern as well.

Bimodal Sleep in Human History

Bimodal, or segmented, sleep appears to have been the way that many of our ancestors slept. Ancient physicians, as well as authors such as Charles Dickens and Chaucer, refer to a first and second sleep in their writings, with the time between the two sleeps spent engaged in quiet activities. Historians believe that this habit disappeared some time around the turn of the twentieth century when electrical light became common.

Just 200 years ago, people routinely woke at night to socialize, pray, read, have sex and otherwise enjoy some quiet time. Most people stayed in bed during this time, although some got up for short periods. The practice of two sleeps appears to have been especially common among the working classes, who were too worn out to be productive immediately after arriving home from a day of manual labor. Doctors even recommended the period between the first and second sleep as the best time to conceive a child.

The Problem of Middle-of-the-Night Insomnia

The very sleep pattern that our ancestors viewed as normal is now often considered a sleep disorder. Sleep maintenance, or middle-of-the-night insomnia, is the most common type of insomnia in the United States. While this disorder can be caused by GERD, anxiety and other health disorders, many people who experience it appear to have no physical cause. Doctors recommend that people who wake at night and cannot get back to sleep do some type of sedentary activity in low light and go back to sleep when they are able, which is strikingly similar to how our ancestors once passed midnight hours.

Middle-of-the-night insomnia may be common because it is a normal human sleep pattern. Could it be that some people who believe they have a sleep disorder may in fact just need to rearrange their evening and night time schedules to allow two sleeps?

Are Two Sleeps Really Better Than One?

Researchers believe that ancient humans tended to sleep around three-and-a-half hours in each sleep cycle, with around two hours between the first and second sleep. Melatonin levels remain high throughout both sleeps and the quiet wakeful phase in between, while the sleepiness preceding the second sleep is caused by a surge in the sex hormone progesterone. Choline levels also differ in people who follow the practice of segmented sleeps. This means that the second sleep has more cholinergic REM phases, which causes more restful slumber and more lucid dreams.

For many people, it could be that middle-of-the-night insomnia is not so much a sleep disorder as a sign that they need two sleeps rather than one. That nighttime period of wakefulness may be the most creative time, while the second sleep appears to be more restful than a normal continuous seven-hour sleep.

Why Did We Start Sleeping in One Block?

If sleeping in two blocks is healthy, why did people stop? There are a few suggested reasons. First, electric light made it possible for people to stay up later at night, making it difficult to get in two full blocks of sleep plus a rest period. Second, the world began to focus more on efficiency. Suddenly, laying in bed and being relatively unproductive for several hours every night was viewed as a waste of time.

While most people have adapted to the practice of sleeping in one seven to eight-hour block, some still struggle. Sleep maintenance insomnia may merely be a return to old ways, which explains why it is so hard to treat. If you have trouble with waking in the middle of the night, it may be time to see if segmented sleep, or engaging in two sleeps, works better for your body.

Proven: Napping Boosts Productivity and Improves Mental Health

Jul 29 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Have you ever snuck a nap in the middle of the day? Modern schedules tend to favor people who are up at dawn and steadily working until sundown. Benjamin Franklin and other fathers of our nation praised those who worked tirelessly, eschewing sleep until nightfall. Our society is set up to support this behavior; jobs begin early and lunch breaks are nonexistent or too short for more than a quick bite to eat. People who sleep a bit in the early afternoon are even considered lazy by many. However, the disdain for the afternoon siesta may be counterproductive. There are several benefits of napping that we are missing out on by pushing through the day rather than pausing to get the rest we need.

The National Deficit of Sleep

Americans are not skipping their daily siesta because they get enough sleep at night. Quite the contrary; sleeplessness is reaching epidemic levels. Researchers estimate that 40 percent of adults and 70 percent of teens are sleep-deprived. The amount of sleep that we get has dropped by 20 percent in the past century. People are getting less sleep than ever in human history, which may be tied to rising rates of metabolic disease.

What can Americans do to improve our sleep, and thus national public health? Experts suggest that a good old-fashioned nap may be the answer. Not only can a nap add to your total sleep time, but it can help you be even more productive and creative once you wake.

The Proven Benefits of Napping

According to research conducted over the past decade, there are several important benefits of napping. People who nap have sharper minds and are able to solve complex cognitive tasks more quickly and correctly. Napping also reduces frustration levels and encourages good mental health. While many think of a nap as wasted time, it may actually make you more productive. After a nap, you think more creatively and work more quickly, making up for any time lost in sleep—and then some.

Can’t we just opt for an earlier bedtime? Is napping better than sleeping longer at night? The jury on this subject is still out, but evidence suggests that we are biologically primed for a short siesta. Hormones associated with alertness dip in the early afternoon, leaving many people feeling tired and duller mentally. If you are sleep-deprived, this afternoon dip in brain function has an even greater effect. This mid-day sleepiness can affect productivity immensely if people do not get the rest that they need to move on with the rest of their day.

How to Nap Like a Pro

If you are interested in making a quick nap part of your lifestyle, experts have a few suggestions for getting the most out of your sleep. First, nap at the same time every day, preferably the time when you are most prone to feeling sleepy. Be sure to limit this time so you do not get too deep into your sleep cycles to wake up quickly; experts recommend 20 to 60 minutes as the ideal nap length. Second, find a comfortable and quiet place so you can nod off quickly and get the most out of your sleep. If you plan to take only a 20-minute nap, drink a cup of coffee first. Although this may sound counterproductive, caffeine takes around this length of time to take effect so it will be kicking in right as you are waking up.

The benefits of napping are clear, so why don’t Westerners make it a national habit? If you’re suffering from an afternoon slump, taking a quick nap may be just what the scientists ordered. Even a short 20 minutes of sleep could leave you renewed, refreshed and ready to take on the rest of your day.

Melatonin and Blood Pressure: New Research Suggests a Sleep Supplement May Promote Heart Health

Jul 13 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Most of us know someone, be it a friend, grandfather, parent, or another family member, who takes medication for hypertension, or high blood pressure. Not only is high blood pressure common in the Western world, but our risk of developing it increases as we age. At the same time, many people find that they also have trouble sleeping as they age, a concern often caused by the age-related slowing of melatonin production. Could the two be related? New research suggests there might be a link between melatonin and blood pressure.

Cardiovascular Health And Aging

It is no surprise that our bodies change as we get older, with the changes being more pronounced inside our bodies than on the outside. Our blood vessels become less pliant, paving the way for hypertension and a variety of cardiovascular diseases. Changes to the body’s circadian rhythm also contribute to poor health. For instance, our blood pressure normally follows a predictable rhythm. As we age, blood pressure becomes more variable and unpredictable. Rather than rising and falling in a predictable way, it tends to become more reactive and follow external cues rather than an internal clock. With all of this in mind, could there be a link between circadian rhythm, melatonin, and blood pressure?

Melatonin and Blood Pressure

In a recent study, elderly people living in a community for older adults were followed for a week, with attention given to their normal lifestyle and any medications taken. The individuals in the study all suffered from hypertension of varying degrees and had an average age of 80. Participants were then instructed to add a melatonin supplement to their daily regime. After just two weeks the results were surprising. After adding a melatonin supplement, blood pressure decreased on average by approximately eight points, which is significant. In addition, those who took melatonin had less variability in blood pressure and a more predictable blood pressure rhythm, suggesting that melatonin may be helpful in protecting against some of the negative effects of aging on our blood vessels. This breaking research into the link between melatonin and blood pressure suggests that a daily melatonin supplement may go a long way toward keeping blood vessels healthy.

Because blood pressure is a major risk factor for a variety of serious, life-threatening health problems, these findings could have potential immense effects on overall health. Lower blood pressure is desirable in almost all cases and can reduce the risk of serious complications like heart attacks. In addition, high blood pressure variability is an important indicator of future disease risk. People who have high variability are at risk for a variety of diseases such as chronic kidney disease.

The Magic of Melatonin

Released by the pineal gland in response to cues from the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus, melatonin had been a major focus of research for years due to its essential role in maintaining the circadian rhythm and a regular sleep-wake cycle. Melatonin levels typically decrease with age, causing disrupted or insufficient sleep in many older adults. The age-related reduction of melatonin may be partially responsible for some of the effects that we associate with aging. For instance, some of the memory loss that we associate with aging may be actually due to a lack of adequate sleep, as sleep is the time during which we consolidate memories. Because sleep is also when our cells rejuvenate and heal from the damage of the day, some of the accumulated damage we associate with aging may be partially due to age-related loss of melatonin.

People jokingly say that sleep is the best medicine. However, research indicates that this is actually not a laughing matter. Maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm, including the addition of a melatonin supplement if needed, may be one important part of preventative medicine. Cultivating a healthy sleep-wake cycle is important because we do not sleep only to dream, but also to complete essential cell repair processes that keep us healthy and happy.

It’s important to discuss any supplements or new over the counter medications with your physician. However, evidence is increasingly indicating that melatonin may be one of the most potent natural healthy-aging supplements available. From your blood vessels to your short term memory, the healing and rejuvenating effects of melatonin support good health from the inside out. Adding this simple and safe supplement may make all the difference in your lifelong well-being.

Keeping a Consistent Bedtime Reduces Risk of Heart Disease

Jul 07 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Do you go to bed at the same time every night? If you are like most people in the industrialized world, the answer to this question is likely “no.” Electrical lights and smart devices give us the means to stay awake well past dark and plenty of ways to entertain ourselves while doing so. The result is that most adults and even many children lack a consistent bedtime, which is a dilemma that a recent study suggests may have a negative effect on cardiovascular health. Could going to sleep at the same time each night—a habit common in our ancestors who lived by the light of the sun—be a crucial factor in preventing heart disease?

The Benefits of Keeping a Consistent Bedtime

Most children have a set bedtime, but as adults, we generally give up this habit. We go to bed when we feel ready for sleep, which varies from night to night. A new study published in the journal Hypertension suggests that bedtime may be more important than we could have ever predicted. In the study, healthy volunteers underwent a series of blood tests, then were given a new sleep regimen with a constantly changing bedtime. After just eight days of a forced change in bedtime, these people had increased norepinephrine, a catecholamine which increases heart rate and has been found to contribute to heart disease in a variety of ways. These people also showed decreased vagal activity, which is significant because the vagus nerve is an important cardiovascular depressant.

Vagal activity is particularly important because this type of nervous activity generally occurs during deep sleep. The results of this study suggest that people who change their bedtime on a regular basis do not get as much deep sleep, which is when the heart regenerates itself after a long day. During deep sleep, vagal activity slows heart rate and blood pressure, reducing demands on myocardial muscle. This gives our heart muscle a chance to clean out metabolites and other biochemicals that accumulate throughout the day as well as providing a needed rest to muscles that maintain our lives 24 hours a day.

Sleeping the Stress Away… Or Not

This study adds to a growing body of evidence that a lack of regular sleep is bad for the heart and blood vessels. The heart is primarily governed by the two branches of the autonomic nervous system. The parasympathetic branch of this system releases hormones that encourage rest and regeneration, as well as digestion of food and other important activities. On the other hand, the sympathetic nervous system revolves around fight or flight. The hormones released by this system generally function as stress hormones. While stress hormones are important in escaping a real physical threat such as a threatening mastodon, they are often maladaptive in the modern world.

When we do not get enough sleep, the sympathetic nervous system dominates our autonomic system. The result is that we have increased levels of stress hormones, which create long-term damage to our cardiovascular systems. Getting a good night’s sleep—including going to bed at a regular time—may be one of the best things we can do to maintain a healthy heart.

The Magic of Sleep

Sleep is a time for mental regeneration, but it appears to be just as important for physical regeneration. Our cardiovascular system is not the only organ system that needs some time at night to regenerate cells and clean out toxic metabolites from the activity of the day. Neural cells also appear to repair damage and replace worn-out cells while we sleep. Even hepatocytes, the cells of the liver, rely on sleep cues from master clocks in the human brain to determine when to rebuild and undergo repair processes. Our bodies must maintain a healthy circadian rhythm in order to undergo crucial processes that keep our cells healthy amidst the challenges of modern life.

Sleep disorders do not just make us more fatigued the next morning, but can potentially affect almost every cell in our body. Setting a regular bedtime may be a healthy lifestyle change that is as important as eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise.

Proven: Shift Work is Detrimental to Your Health

Jun 29 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Modern society has become almost “timeless” due to electric lighting and other technology. We can buy groceries at midnight, get medical care at any hour, and access 24/7 customer service for any problems that arise during the day or night. There are definite benefits to this constant access. However, there may be serious health consequences for the people who keep our world running around the clock.

Shift Work and the Circadian Rhythm

The main problem with shift work is that the timing of sleep matters. Our bodies are made to run by internal clocks that are set by light levels. When our retinas sense light, they pass signals to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) to shut down the production of melatonin and other biochemicals associated with sleep. Our circadian rhythm is also affected by factors such as temperature and the timing of meals.

How does shift work affect the circadian rhythm? People who work odd hours often must function at times when their bodies are telling them to settle into bed so key restorative processes can occur. They must try to sleep at times when cortisol and other hormones that encourage wakefulness are high. People who engage in shift work suffer from a long-term form of jet lag, in which their internal clocks are not aligned with their lifestyle.

The Out-of-Sync Brain

What happens to the human body when shift work forces the circadian rhythm out of sync with the environment? Researchers have discovered a variety of effects. Anyone who has lost a night of sleep knows the short-term effects. People feel more fatigued and suffer from “fuzzy” thinking, but the effects on cognition do not stop there. Chronobiology research has found that people who engage in shift work perform lower on cognitive tests, with the effects lasting up to five years after they resume a typical day schedule. Medical staff who work nights are more likely to miss critical issues and often struggle to stay awake, much less to perform to a high standard of care. However, the effects of shift work extend beyond mood and mental function. There appear to be long-term effects on disease risk and lifespan as well.

Can Shift Work Affect Your Long-Term Health?

New research suggests that cardiovascular health is one of the areas most effected by shift work. Deep sleep allows our hearts to rest and to perform cell repair as well as other restorative processes. Without adequate sleep, people have higher blood levels of stress hormones and increased heart rates. The result is an increased risk of cardiovascular disease that can ultimately be life-threatening.

In addition, people who work odd shifts have a higher risk of stroke and experience more devastating strokes when they do occur. Lab rats who have a disrupted circadian rhythm are more likely to have lasting brain damage and loss of limb function after a stroke.

Disproportionately Severe Effects on Women

Shift work increases risk factors for chronic disease across the board, but the exact effects appear to depend a great deal on biological sex. While men are at higher risk of permanent disability from a stroke, women get the short end of the stick overall. A study of nurses found that women who work night shifts see more negative effects on their heart health than males, even when adjusted for lifestyle and risk factors. They have a higher incidence of coronary artery disease, heart attack and death from heart problems. This increase in risk is significant, at about 15 to 18 percent higher.

Why do men and women suffer different health consequences from shift work? It appears that male and female bodies react different to disruptions in the circadian rhythm. A study of sleep-deprived volunteers of both sexes found that women have more changes in mood and cognitive performance than men when subjected to a disrupted internal clock. This may pose a challenge to the public health as many jobs involving shift work, such as nursing and waitressing, are traditionally female professions.

Our society requires 24-hour staffing in many fields to accommodate modern lifestyles. However, this does not come without consequences for the workers involved. While we will always need medical and law enforcement staff around the clock, it may be better for public health to allow workers in less time-sensitive industries to go home in the evening and get the good night of sleep that they need for optimal health.