BEDTIME STORIES (Part 2)

Let’s recall that sleeping is important for our cognitive abilities, and our immune system. Beyond that, it’s been shown that there is no system or organ in the body that doesn’t benefit from sleep. Consider that if you are doing a good job of getting your sleep (8 hours), then you will be sleeping for a third of your life. The math is pretty shocking. Live to see 90 years? 30 of those years were spent sleeping. Crazy right? But if we are programmed to sleep that much of our life, how could we pretend sleep doesn’t serve a purpose. We have evolved to sleep, let’s not downplay or undermine its value.

One useful mechanism at play that helps dictate our sleep is our circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is an internal twenty-four hour clock located deep within the brain. What is so interesting about the circadian rhythm we all possess is how closely tied it is to our daily 24 hour clock. Our circadian rhythm has evolved to essentially be synchronized with the sun and moon patterns. Although almost perfectly aligned, we have our own internal time frame. So, it’s not quite 24 hours but it’s close. 

One important lesson about the circadian rhythm is that it will cycle, everyday, regardless of whether you’ve had a good night of sleep or not. It will march on, signaling to your body that it is time to be awake or not. Therefore if you want to function at your best, being in tune with your circadian rhythm is highly beneficial. 

The last point of today’s post is how personal your own circadian rhythm is to you. 

It has been found that NOT everyone is a morning person. About 40% of the population is a morning person. Meaning, their circadian rhythm is timed to be most wakeful at the beginning of the day and sleepiness peaking in the night. 30% of the population are evening types who prefer going to bed late and waking up later in the morning. The remaining 30% of the population is a mix being somewhere in the middle. 

What determines whether you are a morning person or evening person? Genetics. If you just find yourself being a night owl, chances are one or both of your parents also displayed that sleeping schedule.

So as much as we believe that night owls choose to be night owls, maybe genetics have a lot more to do with it than we understand. 

Stay tuned for part 3. 
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