Sleep disturbances are surprisingly common in the Western world. Many people struggle to get to sleep at a reasonable hour and then spend their days exhausted. Modern research into chronobiology, or the science of our bodies’ internal clocks, suggests that a lack of sleep can even contribute to disease. In honor of Sleep Awareness Week, […]
Seasonal Affective Disorder: Sunlight and Your Circadian Rhythm
Our circadian rhythms, or internal clocks, control many vital biological processes such as sleep, cell cycles and even healing. However, new evidence suggests that circadian rhythms may also be a major player in seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. What Is Seasonal Affective Disorder? Seasonal affective disorder is similar in symptoms to depression. In addition, sufferers […]
Gut Microbes, Obesity and the Circadian Rhythm
How much does the amount of sleep you get affect your overall energy and mood? Most people would agree that getting enough sleep on a regular basis is very important for a person’s well-being and performance in life’s tasks. Not only is the amount of sleep important, but also our sleep cycles are critical, like […]
Teenagers Need More Sleep! So Why Are They Getting Less?
While teens think of themselves as adults, they actually have very special needs. Their bodies and hormones are changing rapidly as they go through final growth spurts and finish puberty. Most teens need nine to 10 hours of sleep a night, but most are not getting that. So if American teenagers need more sleep, why […]
Survival of the Fittest: Mexican Tetra Fish Loses Circadian Rhythm to Adapt
Internal Clocks for Humans and Fish The lives of humans are regulated by their circadian rhythms, or 24-hour cycles. This rhythm affects all life forms, but have you stopped to consider a life without this clock? Recently, researchers in the Department of Biology at Lund University in Sweden have studied one species that has eliminated […]
