SLEEP Online Magazine - The SLEEP Blog - All about SLEEP, SLEEPING, and SLEEPINESS » body_clock

Lesser Sleep for Longer Lighting

Brian Yalung — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 19:32:03 +0000

Call it a matter of being a psychological issue but people usually sleep well if they are in dark gloomy places. With that in mind, you may thing that thanks to Spring where there will be longer hours of having to be awake due to light, people would always be awake. Well it does not necessarily follow all the time.

Remember that our bodies have a certain body clock to follow. While we may condition ourselves that we do not normally sleep when the lights are on, it still remains that our bodies can only stay awake for a certain number of hours. We will reach a point where we may feel tired and want to take a nap, regardless if daylight is still around.

It just goes to show that not all necessary adjustments fall in accordingly. We will come to a point where we want to sleep or nap for a while. It is not abnormal but rather only typical for people who just follow the usual sleeping hours that their body is used to.

Here is a good article you can read on about spring fatigue and how to deal with it as far as sleep is concerned.

(Source) The Korea Times

Using Sleep Calculators

Brian Yalung — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 09:37:22 +0000

Can you really use computing to get the proper amount of sleep? Whether you are doing it manually or using this sleep calculator, chances are you are losing sleep regardless of how you look at it. Well some people believe it can be. But you have to consider that sleep should be a natural thing. You cannot use logic to substitute what science deals with regarding sleep issues.

Most people would agree that nothing beats the common belief that sleep should be 6 to 8 hours of our normal body clock. We owe it to ourselves to rest and if we want to lessen health risks and make sure we are always productive, we should consider the fact that sleep is something we cannot compromise with in any degree.

Body Clock Switched On with Amino Acids

Brian Yalung — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 23:53:43 +0000

One thing that most people have to deal with these days is adjusting to various shifts that normally pertain to work. This issue is perhaps present in people who work in call centers which at times require graveyard shifts. People who work in the early mornings need to adjust accordingly their sleeping habits to be up and awake during the required shifts.

Protein in amino acids has been tagged to help regulate the body clock when it is adjusting to sleep patterns. In the call to use sleeping drugs to treat sleep disorders, hopefully this will be pretty much helpful to people suffering from various sleep disorders.

(Source) Researchers say they have identified the chemical switch that controls the genetic mechanism regulating people’s internal body clocks.

Although the process involves complex genes, the whole mechanism is controlled by a single amino acid – a building block of protein – they say.

It is hoped the discovery may lead to more effective drugs to treat sleep disorders and related ailments.

Daylight Savings Time Causes Sleep Problems

Brian Yalung — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 16:03:04 +0000

Some may call it a mental problem but dealing with the daylight savings time that has been in effect today has some people suffering from sleep disorder issues encountering more problems. The transition from the old time to DST is really something that many deem as affecting the normal body clock of people. But then again, adjustments should be made to be able to get the proper amount of sleep.

People unaware of the time adjustments to daylight savings time would normally live their usual lives. The thing with people today is that adjusting is taken in vain. Just try ignoring this adjustment and there is really low to none adjustments if people so choose to do so.

Sleep can be considered a ‘change of shifts.’ There is the ‘awake’ day brain and the ‘sleeping’ night brain. The transition or ‘shift change’ from wakefulness to sleep normally takes approximately 10 to 20 minutes. The body needs time to properly shut down the ‘awake’ brain and activate the sleep cycles.”

“Many people with sleep disorders tend to rationalize their symptoms,” says Craig. “They believe fatigue is just part of growing older. Others think they are tired all the time because they are working too hard. Sleep issues are persistently ignored. Sleep studies can help identify the problem early.”

Source: Daylight-saving time brings potential sleeping disorders to light

Jetlag 7 for On-the-Go Travelers

Brian Yalung — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 17:00:58 +0000

The need to adjust with time zones for people who have to travel a lot is a key contributor towards getting proper sleep. At times, adjustments to the body clock may become a pain since change in time zones will require people to sleep at unusual times that are not normal to them.

Jetlag 7 which is only available in Canada, offers to shrug off fatigue for people on the go. A big help for the sleep traveler among us.

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Even News Reporters Need To Sleep

Brian Yalung — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 01:36:50 +0000

Newscasters and reporters would usually have to work round the clock, sometimes affecting the entire body clock as far as trying to get the proper resting and sleeping period. However, trying to cope up with the needed sleep cycle may not be easy for some public serving news people as some just have to keep on going since the show must go on.

However, there are times where you just cannot stay awake for long. Hopefully it does not happen on occasions where live segments are being aired.

News Chick Faints on Live TV @ flixrating.com

Scheduling your Sleeping Hours

Brian Yalung — Wed, 16 May 2007 15:27:58 +0000

For a hectic day ahead, especially for people who work professionally and have to do their usual chores at home, many would be surprised that there are times where their recommended sleeping hours would be affected. For some people, it would not matter as long as they are able to adhere towards their demands and the requirements that they and their families need for survival. But health is obviously taking a backseat and in the end, it will be the people who abuse their bodies that will pay the price.

It is indeed hard for some people to follow a certain time table for their body clock to follow. In most cases, the time table is not followed for one reason or another. This usually occurs when pressure mounts and in times where people have to adhere towards the rising demands for individual expectations in attaining personal and professional goals.

One can just think of how high goals have been set individually. Some may be realistic and others not. Whichever the case may be, people know themselves better. But abusing bodies will take its toll at a certain point and people must be ready to face the consequences surrounding their health.

The Sight of the Dreaded Sun

Brian Yalung — Tue, 15 May 2007 17:11:28 +0000

One sign that people would despise is the sight of sunrise. This especially holds true when people find themselves tossing and turning to be able to try and get some sleep. This is a reality today. People claim they have difficulty in sleeping and most would experience having to see the sunlight at times, something that would signal that they may not be sleeping as required at all.

Staying out late, thinking too much, or even adjusting to new body clock necessities are just some of the main reasons why people find they awake at unlikely times of the day and start yawning at usually active parts of their day. Hence, people need not be surprised that they are at times on low adrenaline levels due to the fact that they lack the proper amount of sleep to get through a rigid day ahead.Hence, the mortal enemy of people looking for sleep is obviously the sight of the dreaded sun. Its brightness makes it close to impossible for people to sleep it out. Some can confide themselves in enclosed rooms and make it dark as they wish.However, the next time they would go out would mean they need to acknowledge the fact that normal days would tend to become abnormal. They are awake at hours where they should be asleep and vice versa. Weird as it is, the need to change their overall body clock would depend on what they would resort to in the end.

Adjusting Your Body Clock for Work Shifts

Brian Yalung — Tue, 15 May 2007 03:26:45 +0000

A reality today is that most of the professions that people find them into may need the overall body adjustment of the body clock. It is something that has been a need since a lot of the current jobs, like call center agents and medical related professions as nursing. Hence, all people are susceptible in the need to adjust their sleeping and active hours making it a necessity for them to be able to be productive as a whole.

Hence, the demand for adjusting to any scenario related to the manner of living has been an obvious occurrence in our daily lives today. This is one reason why there are growing numbers of people with sleep disorders. Some have been even gotten themselves into the insomniac syndrome, something that has been gaining attention from past years.

Many have been able to cope up with it, while some have not. The truth of it all is the fact that people have to adjust and get sleep. Without sleep, a person will not be able to produce in the manner that they are expected to. The time and age today is no longer about the usual 9 to 5 jobs we have all been exposed to. It includes catering towards the working hours of companies that cater to different time zones.

Body clock adjustments are a reality. They must be given attention and proper emphasis. It is no longer a matter of being awake and getting the proper amount of sleep. It is about finding ways of how to be active and effective, things companies and people look for. Some have taken up the challenge while some are still groping for form.

Here is a good article to read on: Criss-crossing time zones hard on body