Daily grinds alter natural sleep patterns new study indicates

A new study on sleep patterns revealed that age and gender primarily determine the quality of sleep one will have. Generally, age was the principal indicator of sleep timing, which affects sleep cycles across populations. As for gender, researchers found that women plan more accordingly for sleep than men. The study was originally published in the May 6th issue of the journal Science Advances.

A consortium of scientists from the University of Michigan curated data on sleep behaviors from 100 various countries utilizing a smartphone app that reduces the effects of jetlag. The focus was on how age, gender, nationality, and the level of light exposure affect the duration of sleep against waking hours.

What are called circadian rhythms, determine sleep schedules and relate to the body’s learned mechanisms in adjusting to Earth’s 24-hour cycle. The rhythms are controlled by a group of 20,000 brain cells behind the eyes that absorb certain amounts of sunlight. But scientists went further with this study to understand how society plays a role as well.

They found that cultural practices such as morning routines and daily schedules can alter natural circadian rhythms during bedtime. But study author Daniel Forger found that “Across the board, it appears that society governs bedtime and one’s internal clock governs wake time, and a later bedtime is linked to a loss of sleep,” and adds that waking times are also determined by one’s biological clock, not solely on a desired rising time. This conflict creates a dissonance between solar and social bodily timekeeping.

To conduct the study, the research team used math modeling, a quarry of data, and a smartphone app called Entrain. The app assists travelers in preventing jetlags by suggesting custom schedules based on the amount of daylight throughout the 24-hour period. After tailoring one’s schedule, the app requests users to submit their sleeping schedules to the university for study.

With its results, scientists are verging on what constitutes normal sleep patterns. This information assists them in formulating solutions to a global sleep dilemma. The study was reported in Tech Times.