Our ancestors didn’t have televisions or even electricity.
When it got dark, candles may have come out for a while, but before too long it was “lights out” for most people.
With the advent of technology, nature no longer has to dictate our sleeping schedule, though perhaps it still should.
A new paper out of Dr. Bruce S. McEwen’s Rockefeller University lab looked at the effects of artificial lighting changing our 24-hour circadian rhythm.
Researchers housed mice in an artificial environment with a 20-hour “day” rather than our standard 24-hour day.
At the end of six weeks, the mice got fatter, showed less mental flexibility, and were more impulsive than mice that were still living under the natural 24-hour cycle.
You can find the entire study in a recent issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
McEwen’s lab is already at work with follow-up experiments, trying to determine how biochemical mechanisms work during these environmental interruptions, but the overall moral of these findings is this:
Although our modern, round-the-clock lifestyle allows us to squeeze more and more into our lives, it’s most probably playing havoc with our brains, metabolism, and overall biochemistry.
With each new study, the health and mental health communities are getting a better picture of how our brains work and how various factors affect them.
In fact, research is progressing at such a rapid pace that it can be difficult not only to keep up, but also to know where to begin in applying these new findings.
With this in mind, we’ve created a new teleseminar series, The New Brain Science Series.
Because the information in this field is so new and so potentially promising, this has turned out to be the biggest teleseminar series that we’ve held.
I hope that you’ll join us. You can sign up for the series here.
Do you see sleep deprivation affecting your clients? If so, how have you been able to get across the importance of natural circadian cycles to them?
Please leave a comment below.
Phomneenal breakdown of the topic, you should write for me too!
Thank you that is very helpful for me, as a new internet site has been inundated with comments that appear OK at first glance but then get repeated with a slight change of wording. I have something concrete to go on now and will delete quite a lot of them.
MASHA’ ALLAH , first of all i would like to say congratz of this new book luanch which is one more step towards the awareness of the peoples of the world, and i hope that the book should copy to lead previous books themes, i don’t read the book and just take overview, and now finally i have to find the Dedications of this book to other person rather then parents.Also i m very very glad to see the image on the cover which is the place where we attend the lectures and also the colour theme is very pleasing to me(due to its black colour).
First of all, you don’t have to apologize for what you believe in. 🙂 I’m not at all surprised that you have guardian angels, or, spirit guides. I do too. We all do, but those who do not share in these beliefs will never come to know or ‘see’ theirs. It has nothing to do with religion of any kind. I do not share your beliefs in a christian god though, those beliefs belong to you, respectfully.. . I do believe in a higher intelligence of ‘some kind’ just not the biblical kind, speaking from my own experience. I receive my messages in very vivid dreams, or, right before I wake up I will see something written in my mind’s eye or hear something. I’m not psychic, but from time to time I receive messages about future events or circumstances that are happening in my life now that do come true. I have also heard from my relatives that have passed on. Removing all doubt about the spirit realm.. . Also, being very careful with regards to what you are listening to or being told. Be sure you hold on to your heart and mind and lovingly guard and protect them at all times. Always use discretion, no matter how much you trust your guides, making sure nothing else, of a negative nature, sneeks in.
If deep sleep only occurs after midnight are night shift workers doomed ??
from Andreas Moritz’s book. Simple Steps to Total Health;
TWO HOURS OF GOOD SLEEP BEFORE TWELVE O’CLOCK IS WORTH MORE THAN FOUR HOURS AFTER TWELE O’CLOCK. E.G. White 7 Manuscript Release p 224
10 PM to 2 AM This is a crucial period of time during which most of the body’s energy is used for CLEANSING, REBUILDING AND REJUVENATING the body. The liver receives most of the energy and conducts an astnishing range of activities. These include the supply of vital nutrients to all parts of the body, breaking down of noxious substances and keeping the blood clean. In addition, the liver cells produce bile at this time, which is needed to digest food, particularly fats, during the following day. Another important function of the liver during this time is to synthesize proteins, which serve as the main building blocks of cells, hormones and blood constituents.
The liver requires all the energy it can get to fulfill these and many other responsibilities. THIS CAN ONLY HAPPEN SUFFICIENTLY, THOUGHT, IF YOU SLEEP DURING THIS TIME PERIOED. If you use up the nightime energy for eating or for mental and physical activities, the liver is left with too little energy to do its extremely vital work. The kidneys also need energy during this time period to filter the blood plasma, and keep the body fluids balanced and blood pressure normal.
“”””””Although the brain makes up merely 2 % of our body mass, it normally contains more than 25 % of the body’s entire BLOOD SUPPLY. “”””””””””””
HOWEVER, DURING THIS PHASE OF THE NIGHT, MOST OF THE BLOOD LOCATED AT THE BACK OF THE BRAIN MOVES INTO THE LIVER FOR PURIFICATION. If you are mentally of physically active at this time, the liver does not receive enough blood to work with, so it cannot cleanse the blood sufficiently. This results in the accumulation of toxic material in the blood stream. If toxins keep circulating in the blood, they will settle in the interstitial fuild (connective tissues) of organs and systems, thereby rasising acidity and damaging them, including the liver itself. High blood toxicity can/DOES/ lead to secretions of stress hormones, brain fog, and injured capillaries, arteries and heart muscles. Most heart disease is the result of ta poorly performing liver that is unable to remove all toxic, noxious substances from the blood on a daily basis. If we do not give the liver the energy it needs to conduct the most basic physiological activities, we sow the seeds of illness throught the body.
Respiration is an important part of the cleansing and rejuvenation process, with a significant percentage of the body’s waste materials being eliminated through the lungs.
This underscores the importance of sleeping in a room with ample ventilation. Andreas Moritz do *** EG White Ministry of Healing p 274-5
Sleep can be divided into two main parts — before midnight and after midnight. For adults, the MOST IMPORTNAT PROCESS OF PURIFICATION AND RENEWAL OCCUR DURING THE TWO HOURS OF SLEEP BEFORE MIDNIGHT. This period involves deep sleep! During this peirod, you enter a dreamless state of sleep where OXYGEN CONSUMPTION IN THE BODY DROPS CONSIDRABLY. THIS RESULTS IN PROFUOUND PHYSICAL REST AND RELAXATION. The benefit to your body of this single hour of deep sleep is approximately equivalent to that derived during the three/four hours following midnight, when the oxygen consumption rises again. DEEP SLEEP VIRTUALLY NEVER OCCURS AFTER MIDNIGHT AND IT USUALLY COMES ONLY IF YOU GO TO SLEEP AT LEAST TWO HOURS BEFORE MIDNIGHT.
Doctors at the University of California at San Diego have found that losing a few hours of sleep not only makes you feel tired, but also can affect the immune system, possibly impairing the body’s ability to fight infections.
2 hours of sleep is the ‘most important ‘ sleep of the whole night…. @ about 9:30 start dimming/shutting lights off…..If we have things to do.. do those things early in the morning….
Have a big ‘family” breakfast instead of dinner…tape some late night programs and watch during the day…. allow yourselves time to ”relax” ”pause” in the day time…. and and for this to be effective….get some UVB’s at noon time>>> To Health Joz
Again At Last we are learning that we cannot evolve faster than nature intended! I explain to my clients it is all in the neuro pathways! All the energy gets built up clogs your nervous system and it starts acting like any electrical system and starts to overlaod as the energy hasn’t been grounded! Walk round the block, have half and hour quiet time before bed, not reading technical articles! Meditation with out complications! Recommend single or three cd set from Tharpa Publications owned by the Buddhist community World Wide only £25 for set or £10 Each. No chanting no prayers pure meditation for the modern world! Make small 15 minute changes to routine one at a time! Go to bed 15 mins earlier and talk to your partner in private, stops tensions building and great for bringing you closer and therefore promoting emotional wellbeing! Want any more Tips send me a Mail!
To all your wellbeing! Rita Anne rita@stottalex.plus.com
Very good advice- but extraordinarily difficult for the population I see. I see a great deal of ADD/ ADHD, and there is a common underlying problem of having a very active mind that is inclined to stay alert and active when going to bed even if the sufferer is tired.
Many of them give up and get onto the internet in an attempt to wear themselves out.
Ruth! I know midnight is not a bedtime but I have stuff to do, bla, bla, bla!
Thank you for your article. Very well stated. Very interesting science. Very inspiring to get me to bed early and convince my clients.
Take Care, Julie