Sleep Disorders

Contrary to common belief, sleep is not a simple passive state of unconsciousness. Our body and brain are equally active, if not more, at night during sleep. This misunderstanding of the active nature of sleep could be the base for our cultural attitude regarding sleep. At best sleep is considered a necessity to be tolerated and at worse an illness to be cured. Scientific evidence is mounting on the tremendous physiological and psychological benefits of sleep and the many health problems associated with lack of sufficient sleep.

Sleep Time Duration Recommendation

Preindustrial records suggest that people slept much longer than today’s averages of 7 hours per night. The introduction of electric lighting, industrial based work schedule, and finally social schedule, have increasingly separated people from the natural 24-hour cycles of light and dark. It is likely that people sleep much less now than any time in the preindustrial period.

The American National Sleep Foundation is recommending sleep time duration for different ages:

Age	Hrs of Sleep Needed	Not Recommended Sleep Hrs
Newborn 0-3 months	14 to 17	Less than 11 More than 19
Infants 4-12 months	12 to 15	Less than 10 More than 18
Toddlers 1-2 years	11 to 14	Less than 9 More than 16
Preschoolers 3-5 years	10 to 13	Less than 8 More than 14
School Children 6-13 years	9 to 11	Less than 7 More than 12
Teenagers 14-17 years	8 to 10	Less than 7 More than 11
Young Adults 18-25 years	7 to 9	Less than 6 More than 11
Adults 26-64 years	7 to 9	Less than 6 More than 10
Older Adults 65 years and older	7 to 8	Less than 5 More than 9

Irregular bedtimes may have negative effects on children's physical health, including their metabolism later on in life.

Sleep Habits for Children and Young Adults

Regular sleep habits in children are very important. Children who have irregular bedtimes are more likely to have behavioral problems such as hyperactivity. Their cognitive skills may also suffer, including decision-making and memory. Irregular bedtimes may have negative effects on children's physical health, including their metabolism later on in life.

College students have been found to suffer academically when they have erratic sleep schedules, just as children do. Even worse, the effects appear to be cumulative, so sleep-deprived children who grow into sleep-deprived adults may have very serious health problems.

Sleep-deprived children who grow into sleep-deprived adults may have very serious health problems.

SLEEP TIED TO CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS

Sleep is perhaps one of the most visible and dominant of the circadian rhythms with important physiological and behavioral consequences. Sleep disorders are directly linked to circadian rhythms disruption which can accompany many life-threatening chronic diseases in addition to some of the most serious mental disorders. In fact, seven of the ten leading diseases causing death in the developed world are strongly associated with sleep disorders and circadian rhythms disruptions.

There are over hundred types of sleep disorders ranging from having difficulty falling asleep at nights to excessive daytime sleepiness. Sleep disorders are classified into three main categories:

Lack of sleep, e.g. insomnia, delayed sleep phase disorder, and so on.
Disturbed sleep, e.g. sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, and so on.
Excessive sleep, e.g. narcolepsy, daytime sleepiness.

There are over hundred types of sleep disorders

Night-/Day Cycle and Hormonal Balance

The health problems associated with lack of sufficient sleep are only intensified by the fact that electric lighting and electronic devices delay the natural onset of biological rhythms related to the night or dark cycle. Scientific evidence show that exposure to bright light at night suppresses our natural melatonin secretion and keeps our body clock on the day schedule late into night/dark hours. This does not only affect the quality and duration of our sleep, but disturbs the overall circadian rhythms and hormonal balance as well.

HOW CIRCADIAN EYEWEAR CAN HELP SLEEP DISORDERS

Exposure to blue light during the night/dark cycle can exasperate many sleep disorders. Rigorous scheduling of sleep and timing of other environmental cues are ways to entrain the circadian rhythms and the sleep pattern.

Synchronizing the circadian rhythms with the natural environmental cues can be of great health benefits. The hormone melatonin plays an essential role in regulating sleep cycles and the 24-hour circadian rhythms.

Wearing Circadian Eyewear blue blocking glasses 2 hours before regularly scheduled sleep time is extremely helpful with putting the mind at ease and promoting timely sleep. The blue portion of the light is blocked from reaching the eyes which results in production and secretion of melatonin after about half an hour. You can stay active before sleep time while the glasses help entraining the body’s biological master clock to night/dark period.

If you suffer from delayed sleep phase disorder, wear Circadian Eyewear to gradually adjust your sleep time. Use intervals of 1 hour until you have achieved a well-regulated and scheduled time for your sleep.

Circadian Eyewear Collection
Circadian Eyewear

RESEARCH REGARDING SLEEP DISORDERS TIED TO CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS

Research from PubMed
Amber lenses to block blue light and improve sleep: a randomized trial.

Wearing blue light-blocking glasses in the evening advances circadian rhythms in the patients with delayed sleep phase disorder: An open-label trial.

Research from Taylor and Francis Online
Protective effect of blue-light shield eyewear for adults against light pollution from self-luminous devices used at night.

Research Sources