Author: Grace Manchala Have you ever had one of those days when you just had to be a night owl? That one day when you stay up late into the night just to finish that paper due in the morning and rewarding yourself by sleeping the rest of the day, only to wake up feeling groggy and out of place? Well, Researchers at Johns Hopkins and Rahboud University of the Netherlands may have just stumbled across an answer as to why some individuals may wake up feeling groggy after utilizing an abnormal sleep schedule. In a study headed by Dr. Raymond Van Ee, neuroscientists have found that an irregular sleep cycle, one that involves sleeping during the lit parts of the day and remaining awake during the darker parts of the day can contribute to what has recently been coined as “circadian sickness.” This sickness is directly attributed to the circadian biological clock, a twenty-four hour cycle which tells our bodies when it is time for certain biological functions such as sleeping, growth, and regulating body temperature, and is generated by a structure in the brain known as the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). The SCN is normally reset by everyday external cues, especially exposure to sunlight., Conditions such as jet-lag or even working the night shift can contribute to this circadian sickness, a term somewhat analogous to what is known as “motion sickness.” Circadian sickness is marked by particular symptoms which include stress or depression-like behavior, low mood, vulnerable immune system, and some nausea. These disastrous health effects can be ascribed to an unnatural sleep-wake cycle in which an individual chooses to stay awake during the night and awake during the day. In the past decade, advancements in research of the sleep-wake cycle have proven that disturbing one’s circadian biological clock by sleeping at odd hours can lead to obesity, diabetes, sleep deprivation, as well as other sleep disorders. However, this is the first time in which external light has been proven to contribute to a sort of fatigued and nauseated sensation upon developing an abnormal sleep schedule. Although more research is required to test out more features of “circadian sickness,” including observing other symptoms of the sickness and noting down the biochemical components causing the ailments, it is important to note that the condition still exists. There are many ways to avoid the distressing symptoms. For starters, try and keep a regular sleep schedule, making sure to get enough rest during the night and stay awake during the daylight hours. So next time you think about staying up until seven in the morning to study for that next round of midterms, think about what you might be doing to your body and how you may feel the next time you wake up. |
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