Circadian Rhythm

How Extreme Sleep Deprivation Impacts Your Brain, Heart, and Entire Body

How Extreme Sleep Deprivation Impacts Your Brain, Heart, and Entire Body

Sleep is not just downtime for your body. It is an active, restorative process that supports nearly every system that keeps you alive and functioning. When you cut back on sleep, whether by choice or circumstance, your body does not simply “adjust.” It begins to break down in ways that can affect your brain, heart,…

How Electricity Changed the Way Humans Sleep Forever
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How Electricity Changed the Way Humans Sleep Forever

Something odd appears in a 1699 English court record. Nine-year-old Jane Rowth testified that she and her mother had just awoken from their “first sleep” when men arrived at their window around 11 PM. Her mother left with them and never returned. Historians glossed over Jane’s testimony for centuries until researcher Roger Ekirch noticed those…

Nighttime Light Pollution Increases Alzheimer’s Risk in Under-65s
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Nighttime Light Pollution Increases Alzheimer’s Risk in Under-65s

Nighttime light flooding American communities may increase Alzheimer’s disease risk, particularly for people under 65, according to research analyzing Medicare data and NASA satellite measurements. Scientists at Rush University Medical Center tracked Alzheimer’s prevalence across US states and counties from 2012 to 2018, comparing disease rates with outdoor light intensity captured by satellites. States with…