For thousands of years before humans harnessed electricity and created light bulbs, people rose and slept based the sun. This seems to be the natural rhythm humans were designed to follow.
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immune system
Jun
28
2011
Insufficient sleep isn’t a ‘badge of honor’
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Jul
23
2010
Modified treatment of head, neck cancer patients may improve their quality of life, sleep quality
Head and neck cancer patients who report poor sleep quality one year after diagnosis had more symptoms of chronic pain and complaints of dry mouth related to radiation treatments, according to a recent study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.
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Individuals who experience trauma during childhood appear more likely to develop chronic fatigue syndrome as adults, according to a report in the January, 2009, issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. In addition, neuro–endocrine dysfunction — or abnormalities in the interaction between the nervous system and endocrine system — appears to be associated with childhood trauma in those with chronic fatigue syndrome, suggesting a biological pathway by which early experiences influence adult vulnerability to illness.
Chronic fatigue syndrome affects as many as 2.5 percent of U.S. adults, according to background information in the article. Little is known about the causes and development of the condition. Risk factors include female sex, genetic predisposition, certain personality traits and physical and emotional stress. “Stress in interaction with other risk factors likely triggers chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms through its effects on central nervous, neuro–endocrine and immune systems, resulting in functional changes that lead to fatigue and associated symptoms such as sleep disruption, cognitive impairment and pain,” the authors write.
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A fruit fly’s immune system can tell time, and how hard it punches back against infections depends on whether the fly is snoozing or cruising. The discovery could have implications for human health, well, says researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
Working with jerry-rigged, light-bulb-laden shoeboxes to manipulate the flies’ daily cycle and with syringes small enough to inject measured amounts of germs into the wee winged ones, the investigators have shown that the insects’ immune response waxes and wanes with the diurnal oscillations called circadian rhythms.
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Loss of sleep, even for a few short hours during the night, can prompt one’s immune system to turn against healthy tissue and organs.
A new article in the September 15, 2008 issue of Biological Psychiatry, by the UCLA Cousins Center research team, reports that losing sleep for even part of one night can trigger the key cellular pathway that produces tissue-damaging inflammation. The findings suggest a good night’s sleep can ease the risk of both heart disease and autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis.
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