The Role of Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders (CRSD)

A person’s circadian rhythm is an internal biological clock that regulates many physiological systems according to an approximate 24 hour cycle. The key feature of a circadian rhythm disorder is an occasional or continuous disruption in sleep patterns. It is often mistaken for Insomnia, especially if the symptoms persist over a longer period of time; however unlike Insomnia patients, people with CRSD usually get required amount of sleep.

Some of the most common circadian rhythm disorders include:

 

Advanced Sleep Pattern Syndrome (ASPS) – Is characterized by early sleeping and waking. People with this disorder feel very sleeping  in the early evening hours (6pm-9pm) and wake up early in the morning (3am-6am). Middle-aged adults and the elderly are more likely to suffer from ASPS.

Treatment: Simply delaying sleep time, at a rate of 1 to 3 hours until desired sleep period is achieved should take care of the problem. In more complicated cases Phototherapy (controlled exposure to intense light) may be required.

Delayed Sleep Pattern Syndrome (DSPS) – Contrary to ASPS, people with DSPS have difficulty in initiating sleep and tend to wake up later. It’s most common among adolescents and young adults. People who suffer from this disorder are often perceived as lazy and unmotivated as they do not perform well in the early morning hours. These individuals are most alert and productive late at night.

Treatment: Maintaining regular hours for sleeping and getting up, using an alarm clock or wake up call service. Similar to ADSP treatment adjusting sleep time until desired sleep period is achieved (ideally 11:00pm- 7am) and bright light therapy may be useful.

Jet Lag– Crossing between two or more time zones can create a conflict between person’s circadian rhythm timing and that of a new time zone. Symptoms, including fatigue and insomnia, are only temporary and usually disappear completely within a week.

Shift Work Disorder– People who work irregular hours (e.g. Truck drivers) or work at night are at bigger risk to suffer from shift work disorder which is often characterized by complaints of insomnia or excessive sleepiness.

Treatment: Some patients find medication to be helpful, antidepressants, which are used in treatment of various sleep disorders are known to positively affect and sometimes readjust circadian rhythm.

By

Agnieszka

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Important:
The Sleep Blog does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Instead, this website provides general information for educational purposes only. Always seek the advice of a qualified health care provider if you have questions or concerns regarding any medical condition or treatment.

Be Healthy and More Productive at Work – Take a Nap

If your boss caught you sleeping at your desk a few years ago, you surely would have been fired. But getting in trouble for catching zzz’s at work may soon be the thing of the past. While most of us rely on artificial stimulants like caffeine to power us through the day, experts say that what we really need to recharge our minds is a good nap. Some industries and big companies such as Nike, Google, Ben and Jerry’s and Zappos.com encourage their workers to simply ….nap.

Mark Rosekind, a former scientist at NASA, and now Founder and President of Alertness Solutions, a company creating “fatigue management” solutions, claims that a 15-minute afternoon nap increases our productivity by 35 percent, creativity by 40 percent and the ability to make decisions by as much as 50 percent. On top of that, afternoon naps also significantly decrease the risk of stroke and heart disease, especially in men.

The authors of the largest ever study of this phenomenon discussed this two years ago in the Journal of Archives of Internal Medicine. The study was conducted over about six years on a group of 23,681 adult Greeks-mostly over the age of 50. People who took at least three 30 minute naps a week had 37 percent lower risk of death due to heart or other cardiovascular problems than in those who slept only at night.

It is worth noting that a siesta during the day belongs to the normal practice in many countries in southern Europe. So far, experts believed that the low incidence of heart disease in those countries is a consequence of the Mediterranean diet. Although the study also takes into account factors such as diet, physical activity, smoking habits and other factors related to the circulatory system, it still seems that napping at work has a beneficial effect.

In conclusion, companies benefit from having workers who are healthy, rested and focused. Those who may still oppose the idea of letting their employees nap on company’s time well, perhaps they will change their mind if they just sleep on it?

Share your feedback in the comments below.

By Agnieszka

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Important:
The Sleep Blog does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Instead, this website provides general information for educational purposes only. Always seek the advice of a qualified health care provider if you have questions or concerns regarding any medical condition or treatment.