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Night owls: Simple sleep tweaks boost wellbeing | Night owls: Simple sleep tweaks boost wellbeing |
(about 16 hours later) | |
Tweaking sleeping habits can shift people's body clocks and improve their wellbeing, say scientists in the UK and Australia. | Tweaking sleeping habits can shift people's body clocks and improve their wellbeing, say scientists in the UK and Australia. |
They focused on "night owls", whose bodies drive them to stay up late into the night. | |
Techniques used included consistent bedtimes, avoiding caffeine and getting plenty of morning sunshine. | Techniques used included consistent bedtimes, avoiding caffeine and getting plenty of morning sunshine. |
The researchers say their approach may seem obvious, but could make an important difference to people's lives. | The researchers say their approach may seem obvious, but could make an important difference to people's lives. |
Everyone has a body clock whose rhythms follow the rising and the setting of the sun. It is why we sleep at night. | Everyone has a body clock whose rhythms follow the rising and the setting of the sun. It is why we sleep at night. |
But some people's clocks run later than others. | But some people's clocks run later than others. |
Morning-led "larks" tend to wake early, but struggle to stay up in the evening; night owls are the opposite, preferring a lie-in and remaining active late into the night. | Morning-led "larks" tend to wake early, but struggle to stay up in the evening; night owls are the opposite, preferring a lie-in and remaining active late into the night. |
The problem for many night owls is fitting into a nine-to-five world, with the morning alarm waking you up hours before your body is ready. | The problem for many night owls is fitting into a nine-to-five world, with the morning alarm waking you up hours before your body is ready. |
Being a night owl has been linked to worse health. | Being a night owl has been linked to worse health. |
Scientists studied 21 "extreme night owls" who were going to bed, on average, at 02:30 and not waking until after 10:00. | Scientists studied 21 "extreme night owls" who were going to bed, on average, at 02:30 and not waking until after 10:00. |
Their instructions were to: | Their instructions were to: |
After three weeks, people had successfully shifted their body clocks two hours earlier in the day, the analysis by the University of Birmingham, University of Surrey and Monash University showed. | After three weeks, people had successfully shifted their body clocks two hours earlier in the day, the analysis by the University of Birmingham, University of Surrey and Monash University showed. |
The results, in the journal Sleep Medicine, showed people still got the same hours of shut-eye. | The results, in the journal Sleep Medicine, showed people still got the same hours of shut-eye. |
But they reported lower levels of sleepiness, stress and depression, while tests showed their reaction times also improved. | But they reported lower levels of sleepiness, stress and depression, while tests showed their reaction times also improved. |
"Establishing simple routines could help night owls adjust their body clocks and improve their overall physical and mental health," said Prof Debra Skene from the University of Surrey. | "Establishing simple routines could help night owls adjust their body clocks and improve their overall physical and mental health," said Prof Debra Skene from the University of Surrey. |
"Insufficient levels of sleep and circadian [body clock] misalignment can disrupt many bodily processes, putting us at increased risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes." | "Insufficient levels of sleep and circadian [body clock] misalignment can disrupt many bodily processes, putting us at increased risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes." |
One of the main cues the body uses for syncing with the passage of the sun is light - hence advice to expose the body to more during the day and less at night. | One of the main cues the body uses for syncing with the passage of the sun is light - hence advice to expose the body to more during the day and less at night. |
Having inconsistent sleeping and waking times can also disrupt the body's internal clock (known as a circadian rhythm). | Having inconsistent sleeping and waking times can also disrupt the body's internal clock (known as a circadian rhythm). |
The techniques deployed may seem like obvious sleep hygiene advice, but each is used to help train the body clock. | The techniques deployed may seem like obvious sleep hygiene advice, but each is used to help train the body clock. |
What the researchers did not know was whether those hard-wired to sleep late would respond to the change of habits. | What the researchers did not know was whether those hard-wired to sleep late would respond to the change of habits. |
"What isn't obvious is, when you have these extreme night owls, can you do anything about that?" Dr Andrew Bagshaw, from the University of Birmingham, told the BBC. | "What isn't obvious is, when you have these extreme night owls, can you do anything about that?" Dr Andrew Bagshaw, from the University of Birmingham, told the BBC. |
"These are relatively simple things anyone can do that makes an impact, and that to me is surprising. | "These are relatively simple things anyone can do that makes an impact, and that to me is surprising. |
"Being able to take a decent chunk of the population and help them feel better without a particularly onerous intervention is quite important." | "Being able to take a decent chunk of the population and help them feel better without a particularly onerous intervention is quite important." |
Follow James on Twitter. | Follow James on Twitter. |
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