Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Circadian Rhythms
My time in college the past two years has changed my sleeping pattern entirely, and after learning about the Circadian rhythm we all have in our bodies helps me understand exactly why I am so exhausted after getting 10 hours of sleep. On the nights when I slept for 10 hours, the cause was usually because I didn't get to sleep until very late at night 4, 5, or even 6 a.m. Then after sleeping for a long time, I would still be absolutely exhausted and not want to do anything all day. I was confused because I had definitely gotten more sleep on those days than during the school week when I would only get 8 hours a night. However, on those nights I was sleeping at a normal time. Reading and learning about these rhythms helps me understand that its not really the length of sleep you get, but more importantly the quality of sleep. This includes all 4 cycles of sleep, and not just sleep from pure exhaustion.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I have also experienced a change in my sleeping times because back at home I would fall asleep around 10pm or 11pm and have to wake up at 6am for school. Here in college I now fall asleep around 2am but dont wake up until around 9am. Like you said, I dont really experience a change in how tired I am because I still have the same quality of sleep no matter how long it is.
ReplyDeleteAside from getting the proper amount of sleep per night, I've noticed that what time I fall asleep at also affects how well-rested I feel the following day. I usually go to bed around 1 or 2 a.m., but if I happen to go to bed earlier and still manage to get 7 1/2 hours of sleep that night, I feel less energized than if I went to bed later and still got 7 1/2 hours of sleep. I don't know if variations in the weather or my level of exhaustion has anything to do with it, but whenever I fall asleep later, I wake up more energized (or so it seems).
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't matter how much sleep I get, I'm always extremely tired the next day. I think it is because I've lost so much sleep that I need to catch up on, but that would take years. Sure, I still feel more rested in the morning, but I'm still sleepy and tired the next day. I usually sleep for 7-8 hours, but I definitely think I need more to function in an alert manner the next day. I've found, though, that it is a little harder to get more than 7-8 hours of sleep in college. There is too much stuff to do!
ReplyDeleteafter reading about circadian rhythms, i began to realize that this was a very truthful subject. while at college the average student is unable to get the required 8-9 hours every night. from going to school, playing sports, and having a personal life tends to leave the average person with about 6-7 hours but at many different times of the day. not being able to have the same sleep patterns everyday due different schedules tends to make the college students tired at times when they should be wide awake.
ReplyDelete