More and more individuals are becoming night owls with gadgets and the internet to keep them up and entertained all night. In the end, more and more individuals are experiencing trouble trying to be productive on their daily activities. If you see yourself as one of these night owls - then maybe you are not just another night owl.
Sleep specialists have reported heightened cases of Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome a circadian rhythm sleep disorder where one does not feel tired and sleepy until very late in the evening. Most people who have the disorder find it hard to sleep until around 3 to 4 in the morning. The result of this is severe deprivation of sleep that hurts one day to day productivity.
For instance, an office worker who should be asleep by 10 in the evening to be awake by 6 in the morning, stays up until 3 am to be up at 6 am. In the end, instead of having the most coveted 8 hours of sleep one gets about 3 hours of sleep each day.
Sleep deprivation has long been known to hamper the physical and mental health. According to a report by NIH, "sleep deficiency is linked to many chronic health problems, including heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, obesity, and depression." Lung health is also another that is put at high risk for an individual who is sleep deprived after several studies have proven that a good night's rest is optimal for healthy lungs.
While lifestyle choice plays an important role in the development of circadian rhythm sleep disorders, scientists have also found a brain chemical to be at play in such sleep issues. Melatonin is a brain chemical that regulates the human body's sleep-wake patterns or body clock.
Normally, an individuals' melatonin levels increase at night to promote sleepiness. In an individual with circadian rhythm sleep disorders, melatonin levels do not increase at all. Recently, however, researchers have reported that the blue light in computer and gadget screens suppress the brain's production of melatonin and thus hampers sleepiness especially at night.