RHYTHMS OF SLEEP 1A (Western Discoveries)

Early Man had learnt to live according to the rhythm of the seasons. They rise at the break of dawn and bed when night falls. It is at nighttime when we are asleep that our body spring-cleans itself both mentally and physically.

As night slid deeper into darkness, the dormant power of sleep is unleashed. The brain releases human growth hormone (HGH) to repair and regenerate our body tissues.

In the twentieth century, scientists uncovered the secrets of human circadian rhythm. This biological clock within our body coordinates and controls functions such as sleep/wake, body temperature, thirst and appetite. The circadian system measure and interprets the rhythms of night and day. the powers of light and darkness resets our body clock daily, influences our brain wave activity, hormone production, core body temperature and other biological activities.

As the heavens dimmed with the setting sun, our eyes detected the change and sent a message to our brain to release the hormone melatonin. This hormone is released at about 9 p.m. by the pineal gland to regulate sleep. Like the vampire Count Dracula, it seeps into your bloodstream in the darkness of night. When the light of day returns, it ebbs and hides in the pineal gland deep in the recesses of the brain.

A study by the Lighting Research Center in 2010 showed that Removing circadian light in the morning delays melatonin onset by 6 minutes a day, and receded a total of 30 minutes after five days. The research showed that students who experience disruption in lighting schemes in the morning consequently experience disruption in sleeping Patterns, leading to poorer performance and well-being.

In the later part of the twentieth century, scientists found that certain organs and cells in our body have more-or-less autonomous circadian rhythm that are independent of the master clock in our body. Traditional Chinese Medicine uses the information from these peripheral clocks to determine which organ or associated meridian in our body needs help as well as the best time to commence treatment. The Ayurveda healthcare system also linked sleep to the seasonal and daily rhythms of nature. In the next article we will look at the discoveries of these two ancient healthcare systems regarding sleep.