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Sleep Cycles

  • 15-02-2007 2:50am
    #1
    nesf
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 27,644 ✭✭✭✭


    I'm more curious than anything else about this but I've a few simple questions.

    Has there ever been an substantial research done on sleep cycles, or more specifically on how some people seem to be 'morning people' and some 'night owls'? I'm thinking in terms of there is a kind of 'expected' sleep cycle that people are meant to get into (i.e. in relation to a 9-5 lifestyle) and some aspects of diagnosis/treatment in mental illness have disturbances to sleep cycles as part of them with sometimes a 'normalising towards the expected' as being a sign of improvement. From what I've read, there seems to be some link between levels of a certain chemical in the brain (I've forgotten the name) and the times a person will tend (when free to choose) to be awake and sleep. I'm curious as to whether this could be inherent to a person or down to lifestyle (i.e. do the levels of this chemical adapt to fit a person's routine or are they roughly fixed).


Comments

  • #2
    DrIndy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,461 ✭✭✭DrIndy


    The chemical in question is called melatonin and is released from the pineal body and induces sleepiness. Hence buddhist monks drink their own morning pee (as it contains melatonin) to help them calm themselves and meditate.

    Sleep wake cycles depend on your inherent circadian rhythm and what time it is set to. I personally wake up during daylight - whenever that is and no matter how tired I may be.


  • #3
    nesf
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 27,644 ✭✭✭✭nesf


    DrIndy wrote:
    The chemical in question is called melatonin and is released from the pineal body and induces sleepiness. Hence buddhist monks drink their own morning pee (as it contains melatonin) to help them calm themselves and meditate.

    Cheers, I couldn't remember the name of it and googling this kind of stuff produces a lot of pseudo-science so I was a tad sceptical about anything I found. :)
    DrIndy wrote:
    Sleep wake cycles depend on your inherent circadian rhythm and what time it is set to. I personally wake up during daylight - whenever that is and no matter how tired I may be.

    Right, I'm curious about how 'fixed' those rhythms are. If someone is taking sedatives will their body still attempt to 'find this rhythm' or what happens if a person is put into a >25 hour cycle due to whatever (like with soldiers taking amphetamines and working off a 36 hour day and such). I was reading an interesting article about the progress of 'treatments' that reduce the need of the body for sleep and there were questions about what it would do to the natural rhythms of the body and such.


  • #4
    John
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,135 ✭✭✭✭John


    The circadian rhythms are malleable, I don't know how much though. Actually, sleep is an area I really should read up on. Many drugs can have an impact on sleep for many different reasons, I doubt too many have a direct effect on melatonin levels. Changes in a variety of hormone and neurotransmitter levels would undoubtedly cause changes in sleep patterns and sleep efficacy.


  • #5
    nesf
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 27,644 ✭✭✭✭nesf


    John wrote:
    Actually, sleep is an area I really should read up on.

    I'm feeling the same way at the moment. It's something that I really don't know that much about but a) it's interesting and b) it's a pretty central part of my life. :)

    John wrote:
    Many drugs can have an impact on sleep for many different reasons, I doubt too many have a direct effect on melatonin levels. Changes in a variety of hormone and neurotransmitter levels would undoubtedly cause changes in sleep patterns and sleep efficacy.

    This interests me on both a personal and intellectual level. I've taken many drugs over the years which have had major impacts on my sleep patterns, the quality of sleep I get and having a kid recently brought a whole new 'interest' in sleep patterns in others...


  • #6
    simu
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,730 ✭✭✭✭simu


    DrIndy wrote:
    The chemical in question is called melatonin and is released from the pineal body and induces sleepiness. Hence buddhist monks drink their own morning pee (as it contains melatonin) to help them calm themselves and meditate.

    Or for those who don't like the taste of urine: http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/2006/05/26/story4354.asp

    Has anyone tried it? :)


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  • #7
    nesf
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 27,644 ✭✭✭✭nesf


    simu wrote:
    Or for those who don't like the taste of urine: http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/2006/05/26/story4354.asp

    Has anyone tried it? :)

    lol, Kanturk. I grew up near there. :p


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