Found in most living organisms, the circadian rhythm plays an essential role as the system’s biological clock. The rhythms are regulated by behavior, light, and internal clock genes throughout the body. Numerous studies have repeatedly demonstrated the strong ties between human habits and the circadian rhythm, considering how the rhythms penetrate every aspect of life. Many other studies have investigated disruptions in the circadian rhythm against patterns in human activities such as sleep patterns. For this case, I will relate two studies – one in the Sleep Medicine Journal, and the other conducted by researchers at Harvard Medical School. The studies collectively investigated the influence of interventions in the standard human patterns against brain functions relating to the circadian rhythm. While the Harvard study sought to establish the optimum health and behavioral changes for circadian science, Tan et al.’s (2019) article examined interventions for improving sleep and reducing circadian disruptions in medical patients.
The two studies are unique in each own way. The Harvard Medical School conducted the study on 25 volunteers who spent a month in a confined, windowless, and soundproof controlled environment. From their new 28-hour ‘daily’ schedules, the research team sought to explore the effect of prolonged changes on metabolism and body weight. The experiment is synonymous with an earlier study on mice subjected to a 20-hour time frame of darkness and light, with a keen eye on melatonin secretion and resultant activity changes. On the other hand, the study in the scholarly article reviewed some strategies to minimize sleep-wake disruptions in inpatients, especially those with a history of clinical insomnia and apnea. Ramelton, a selective melatonin receptor agonist, was administered in the latter case, meaning the study observed an extra dimension – the use of stimulants to help in sleep. The two studies have a lot in common – right from the fact that they use first-hand data to the way they share research variables (melatonin vs. behavior).
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The Harvard study concluded that aside from sleep patterns and metabolism, the circadian rhythm affects a whole range of vital functions such as blood pressure, hormone levels, and heart rate. That explains the direct link between disrupted sleep cycles and severe health issues like depression and obesity. As such, the researchers established that persistent use of an artificial light source suppresses the release of melatonin, which consequently shifts the biological clock. Reduced alertness and delayed bedtime were noticed with standard illumination intensity. On the other hand, Tan et al. (2019) observe that napping and physical activity greatly stabilized the circadian system because they facilitated melatonin release. Also, enhanced ambient light exposure and noise cancellation greatly improved sleep pattern stability. Concerning external sources of melatonin, Tan et al. (2019) findings regarding justifiable evidence that synthetic supplements could help people with jet lag and Sleep-Wake Phase Disorder (DSWPD). However, little convincing evidence was found regarding insomnia.
The two studies’ findings comport with the textbook. First, Tan et al. (2019) agree with the text that environments that cause significant Rapid eye movement (REM) cause significant brainwaves, effectively minimizing melatonin release. The Harvard study furthers the text’s illustration of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) as the circadian rhythm control ‘hotspot’ by adding that its coordination with the pineal gland determines the fluidity of change in sleep patterns. However, there is a notable difference between the two studies and the book. While the book explores the problem from a psychological perspective, the studies are heavy-handed on the medical and neurological aspects. Besides, the studies and their findings are unidirectional, often pointing one cause to an effect and a corresponding solution/recommendation. On the contrary, the book attempts to derive a multidimensional approach to the issues the papers depict in a unary perspective.
References
Harvard Medical School: Blavatnik Institute of Technology. (2018, May) “ Circadian Rhythms and the Brain .” Retrieved https://neuro.hms.harvard.edu/harvard-mahoney-neuroscience-institute/brain-newsletter/and-brain/circadian-rhythms-and-brain
Tan, X., van Egmond, L., Partinen, M., Lange, T., & Benedict, C. (2019). A Narrative Review of Interventions for Improving Sleep and Reducing Circadian Disruption in Medical Inpatients. Sleep Medicine, 59, 42-50.
