1 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:13,480 Speaker 1: When you go to a friend's for dinner and you 2 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:16,439 Speaker 1: get talking all you go out on the land on 3 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:19,960 Speaker 1: a boat, go outside anywhere on the walk, and you 4 00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:22,680 Speaker 1: just kind of relaxing and chilling out, and then you 5 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:25,080 Speaker 1: get back into the house and look up clock. You're like, 6 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:29,000 Speaker 1: oh god, it wasn't like five hours late. And then 7 00:00:29,040 --> 00:00:31,400 Speaker 1: I thought it was because the sun did not go down, 8 00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:34,000 Speaker 1: and I did not realize because my brain didn't tell 9 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:39,560 Speaker 1: me that that wasn't normal. When most of us say 10 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:42,920 Speaker 1: on top of the world, we usually mean it metaphorically, 11 00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:45,519 Speaker 1: as in being in a good mood or in a 12 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:49,240 Speaker 1: good place. But for Addie Scott, top of the world 13 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:53,120 Speaker 1: is a very real location that she calls home. You 14 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:55,760 Speaker 1: think of like Canada and North America on a map 15 00:00:56,080 --> 00:01:00,560 Speaker 1: and go as far north as you can and west 16 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:05,480 Speaker 1: without getting into Alaska, and you find any Addie is 17 00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:09,400 Speaker 1: a coordinator for Community Greenhouse in Inevo, Canada, a city 18 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:13,080 Speaker 1: located in the Arctic Circle. Because of its extreme north 19 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:16,600 Speaker 1: location and the tilt of our planet's axis, people who 20 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:21,120 Speaker 1: live their experience fifty six days of continuous sunlight every 21 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:24,440 Speaker 1: summer and about thirty days of polar night in the winter, 22 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:28,880 Speaker 1: so in the summer, I usually just like make sure 23 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:33,000 Speaker 1: that I try not to go outside pass like eleven PM, 24 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:35,800 Speaker 1: and if I do, I get very confused and my 25 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:37,680 Speaker 1: brain is like, Kate, it's time to go to work. 26 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:41,240 Speaker 1: Now it's the morning. But it's great for waking up 27 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:43,840 Speaker 1: in the morning because it's just bright all the time, 28 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:46,240 Speaker 1: and in the winter mad it's hard to care a bit. 29 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:51,480 Speaker 1: In most inhabited places on the planet, we can rely 30 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:53,800 Speaker 1: on signals from the sun to let us know when 31 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:56,160 Speaker 1: it's time to go about certain parts of our day. 32 00:01:56,600 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 1: So for Addie, who moved to Inuvik from Yorkshire in 33 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:04,160 Speaker 1: United Kingdom, the endless days and continuous nights were something 34 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:08,560 Speaker 1: she had to get used to. It's honestly, like I mean, 35 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:11,520 Speaker 1: it sounds like a cliche. It's nothing I've ever experienced before, 36 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:15,160 Speaker 1: and it's nothing I could have imagined before. It's a 37 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:18,520 Speaker 1: very unique thing that few humans will ever witness in 38 00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:22,239 Speaker 1: their lives, and while whole populations have learned to thrive 39 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:25,080 Speaker 1: in this environment, it still comes with its own set 40 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:28,919 Speaker 1: of challenges. I also sat down with Dr Stephen Lockley, 41 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 1: a neuroscientist an Associate professor of medicine at Harvard University, 42 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:37,160 Speaker 1: to talk about what these unique and extreme day and 43 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:40,280 Speaker 1: night periods due to our minds, our bodies, and of 44 00:02:40,320 --> 00:02:45,040 Speaker 1: course our sleep. We've not evolved as humans to live 45 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 1: in constant dungness or constant light. We can override it 46 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:51,640 Speaker 1: with the use of electric light or light avoidance in 47 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:54,840 Speaker 1: the summer, but clearly there are still some anger effects 48 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 1: of the light environment. It's not exactly the same as 49 00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:01,080 Speaker 1: living further south, and so yes, we do find the 50 00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:03,960 Speaker 1: further north you go there is a bigger risk to health. 51 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:08,280 Speaker 1: Despite the risk, people have figured out how to adapt, 52 00:03:08,639 --> 00:03:11,639 Speaker 1: with evidence showing that humans may have first migrated deep 53 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:15,160 Speaker 1: into the northern hemisphere as far back as thirty thousand 54 00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:18,680 Speaker 1: years ago. Today, we're going to look at what sleep 55 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:21,320 Speaker 1: is like in the Arctic Circle, a place with light 56 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 1: and dark cycles that seem alien to the rest of 57 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:27,880 Speaker 1: the world and where the adaptability of its residents is 58 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:31,720 Speaker 1: a testament to the ingenuity of the human race. On 59 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:41,680 Speaker 1: this episode of Chasing Sleep, when the Sun doesn't sleep, Hi, 60 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:45,280 Speaker 1: I'm on a hut O'Connor, and this is Chasing Sleep 61 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:58,400 Speaker 1: and I heart Radio production and partnership with Mattress Firm, 62 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:02,160 Speaker 1: located two miles north of Seattle, and with only one 63 00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:04,680 Speaker 1: road connecting it to the rest of the globe. A 64 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:08,760 Speaker 1: Novic Canada is one of the most remote yet interesting 65 00:04:08,800 --> 00:04:12,080 Speaker 1: places on Earth. Most of the Arctic Circle is so 66 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:15,080 Speaker 1: extreme that, despite some modern settlements, a lot of the 67 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:19,400 Speaker 1: land remains completely untouched. The wildlife found here is some 68 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:23,000 Speaker 1: of the most unique. The forests are dense and lush, 69 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:26,920 Speaker 1: the waters are clear and blue, the day last an 70 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:30,800 Speaker 1: entire season, and the nights are illuminated by the amazing 71 00:04:30,839 --> 00:04:36,240 Speaker 1: northern lights. It's basically like real life Naunia is the 72 00:04:36,279 --> 00:04:40,360 Speaker 1: best way to describe it. So after I finished my Masters, 73 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:43,160 Speaker 1: I didn't know what to go, So I threw a 74 00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:46,720 Speaker 1: dot at a map and this was the closest place 75 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:51,680 Speaker 1: that landed. So here I am doing the things. Wow, 76 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:54,679 Speaker 1: So you really did that and decided, okay, that's where 77 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:57,919 Speaker 1: I'm headed, And how did you figure out, you know, 78 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:01,560 Speaker 1: how you're going to get there and prepare for it 79 00:05:01,760 --> 00:05:04,960 Speaker 1: and make a life there. I actually just kind of 80 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:07,480 Speaker 1: zoomed in on Google Maps and was like, wow, it 81 00:05:07,560 --> 00:05:11,320 Speaker 1: was like really nothing there, and then kind of zoomed 82 00:05:11,320 --> 00:05:13,440 Speaker 1: in a little bit closer and then found the names 83 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:16,159 Speaker 1: of the towns like surrounding it. And then just looked 84 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:21,039 Speaker 1: for volunteering and job opportunities to travel and then found 85 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:25,080 Speaker 1: a place working with sled dogs and working with them 86 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:28,240 Speaker 1: and emails called them was like, hey, do you guys 87 00:05:28,320 --> 00:05:31,760 Speaker 1: have sled dog training jobs? Is that a thing? Um? 88 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:33,400 Speaker 1: And they said yeah, And I worked for them for 89 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:36,120 Speaker 1: like eight months, left on a road trip and then 90 00:05:36,240 --> 00:05:39,200 Speaker 1: got a job at the Greenhouse. So while it must 91 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:42,520 Speaker 1: be pretty amazing to be surrounded by so much beauty, 92 00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:45,839 Speaker 1: how do you handle the unique times of total light 93 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:48,960 Speaker 1: and dark that come with living in a NOVIC. It's 94 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:52,400 Speaker 1: kind of amazing really, Like in the summer, it happens 95 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 1: so fast that you go from darkness to like twenty 96 00:05:57,880 --> 00:06:03,040 Speaker 1: four hour daylight basically. So I know, officially it's twenty 97 00:06:03,040 --> 00:06:06,240 Speaker 1: four hour daylight for one month, but the sun even 98 00:06:06,279 --> 00:06:09,159 Speaker 1: though it sets a little bit, it's still light for 99 00:06:09,279 --> 00:06:12,640 Speaker 1: like three months either side of that. It's really really cool. 100 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:15,040 Speaker 1: And I don't know, you have no idea what time 101 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:16,920 Speaker 1: is any time of day, And if you're really bad 102 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:19,280 Speaker 1: at wearing a watchwhaw keeping your phone on you like 103 00:06:19,640 --> 00:06:22,160 Speaker 1: I am, you're just like best, but wondering the whole 104 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:24,599 Speaker 1: time you have no idea what time is they're going 105 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:26,320 Speaker 1: for a while with the dog. I'll hanging out with 106 00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:28,280 Speaker 1: some friends and you look outside and be like it's 107 00:06:28,279 --> 00:06:30,520 Speaker 1: still light. Maybe it's ten pm. Maybe I'll go to 108 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:33,680 Speaker 1: bed it's like five am, and uh, they're like, oh, 109 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:37,880 Speaker 1: it's the next day. Oops. So that's constant daylight and 110 00:06:37,920 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 1: then the opposite happens in the winter. Yeah, the winter 111 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:45,280 Speaker 1: is twenty four or seven darkness. But it's kind of 112 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:47,599 Speaker 1: amazing because you get the northern lights the whole time, 113 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:49,279 Speaker 1: Like in the middle of the day, you'd be like 114 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:52,680 Speaker 1: walking to work to do this, just be amazing lights 115 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:56,440 Speaker 1: in the sky. So I think I in terms of 116 00:06:56,480 --> 00:07:01,160 Speaker 1: like sleeping, the winter is so much easier just because 117 00:07:01,160 --> 00:07:03,960 Speaker 1: it's dock all the time. It's kind of nice. But 118 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:09,440 Speaker 1: in the summer weekly Operation Nighttime in my house because 119 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:11,760 Speaker 1: you have to like just close all the windows all 120 00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:14,640 Speaker 1: the courtins, put like copboard on to block out the light. 121 00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:16,720 Speaker 1: At like ten pm, just run around the house play 122 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:21,720 Speaker 1: Operation nighttime so you can. So I'm guessing Operation Nighttime 123 00:07:22,080 --> 00:07:25,480 Speaker 1: is a technique for adapting to the constant light. So 124 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:28,800 Speaker 1: can you walk us through exactly what that looks like. Yeah, 125 00:07:28,840 --> 00:07:32,000 Speaker 1: So when it hits ten pm, I have a little 126 00:07:32,040 --> 00:07:34,160 Speaker 1: alm on my phone to remind me to do it. 127 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:37,320 Speaker 1: Otherwise I just yeah, I have no idea that it's 128 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:39,960 Speaker 1: that time. And then go around and we have like 129 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:43,040 Speaker 1: black outlines on all of the windows. Um so me 130 00:07:43,280 --> 00:07:46,920 Speaker 1: and my housemates we go around and like cover room 131 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:50,040 Speaker 1: each We just go and pull them all down. And 132 00:07:50,080 --> 00:07:52,760 Speaker 1: the most important one I always forget is to close 133 00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:55,760 Speaker 1: my bedroom. Could so when I go into my bedroom, 134 00:07:55,800 --> 00:08:00,320 Speaker 1: it's doc But yeah, it's just remembering to do it, 135 00:08:00,400 --> 00:08:05,000 Speaker 1: signing along and pulling those blackout clients down, making a 136 00:08:05,120 --> 00:08:08,720 Speaker 1: night time. It sounds like a great way to recreate 137 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:11,960 Speaker 1: night and also a pretty interesting reminder of just how 138 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:16,240 Speaker 1: important the darkness is to signaling sleep mechanisms in our brains. 139 00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:18,640 Speaker 1: But prepping the house is one thing. What's it like 140 00:08:18,720 --> 00:08:22,440 Speaker 1: to work in this environment? I mean, gardening is very 141 00:08:22,440 --> 00:08:27,880 Speaker 1: seasonal anyway, but it's more extreme here. So the gardening 142 00:08:27,880 --> 00:08:31,200 Speaker 1: season now like starts in May when it gets warm 143 00:08:31,280 --> 00:08:34,440 Speaker 1: enough because we just get the light back then. And 144 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:37,040 Speaker 1: then in September is when we start to get what 145 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:39,560 Speaker 1: you call it the average day with like a normal 146 00:08:39,600 --> 00:08:42,199 Speaker 1: sunset sunrise kind of thing. But that's when it starts 147 00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:45,000 Speaker 1: to get really cold here. Through the summer. It's amazing. 148 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:48,120 Speaker 1: I'm working in the greenhouse. The plants love the twenty 149 00:08:48,200 --> 00:08:54,600 Speaker 1: four hour daylight, so I'm curious how the plants respond 150 00:08:54,679 --> 00:08:58,800 Speaker 1: over there to these periods of extended sunlight and darkness. 151 00:08:59,480 --> 00:09:02,160 Speaker 1: With Jesus especially, you look on the back of a 152 00:09:02,160 --> 00:09:05,600 Speaker 1: seed packet radishes would normally be like one to two 153 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:09,560 Speaker 1: months to get a fully grown radish for the good 154 00:09:09,559 --> 00:09:16,160 Speaker 1: old salad. Here, it's like three weeks. Everything grows crazy fast, incredible. 155 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:19,080 Speaker 1: So the plants love the summer, But what does life 156 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:21,840 Speaker 1: look like for the people here with such dramatic shifts 157 00:09:21,840 --> 00:09:25,520 Speaker 1: in seasons. Honestly, do you really recognize the shift in 158 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:29,760 Speaker 1: people's behavioral patterns? Which I find really interesting? Really, Yeah, 159 00:09:29,960 --> 00:09:33,720 Speaker 1: So in the summer, people are like active, going for 160 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:35,880 Speaker 1: a walk. You spend like so much time on the 161 00:09:35,960 --> 00:09:38,520 Speaker 1: land and like you're out as much as you possibly 162 00:09:38,600 --> 00:09:41,679 Speaker 1: candy um, and we're in a delta here too, so 163 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:45,160 Speaker 1: there's so much water and lakes and rivers, so people 164 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:49,680 Speaker 1: are often at like and canoes on the boat, and 165 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:51,800 Speaker 1: you just spend as much time outside as you can, 166 00:09:52,360 --> 00:09:57,240 Speaker 1: like it's amazing. And then as you like shift into 167 00:09:57,240 --> 00:10:01,920 Speaker 1: getting colder, and then in the everyone basically just hibernates 168 00:10:01,920 --> 00:10:06,760 Speaker 1: and does crafts. Does crafts. Yeah, keep yourself busy during 169 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:09,520 Speaker 1: the like the winter months. That's a traditional thing as well, 170 00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:14,800 Speaker 1: Like crafts and making things is a very big winter tradition, 171 00:10:14,920 --> 00:10:19,160 Speaker 1: especially so the women appeared to because there's just less 172 00:10:19,280 --> 00:10:22,120 Speaker 1: hunting and less gathering you can do on the land. 173 00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:26,120 Speaker 1: That's true of people's like natural rhythms to when it 174 00:10:26,160 --> 00:10:29,439 Speaker 1: gets really cold outside and you're like, okay, consider the energy. 175 00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:32,760 Speaker 1: So what about holidays or celebrations. Is there a way 176 00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:37,920 Speaker 1: that everyone ushers in these huge seasonal changes. So as 177 00:10:37,960 --> 00:10:41,000 Speaker 1: soon as the sun rises for the first time in 178 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:45,160 Speaker 1: a month January six fish year, um, we have a 179 00:10:45,160 --> 00:10:49,839 Speaker 1: massive sunrise festival, so everyone comes out. Only rises for 180 00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:54,560 Speaker 1: like maybe thirty seconds, so it's still really dark, but 181 00:10:54,679 --> 00:10:57,640 Speaker 1: everyone comes out and celebrates, and um we have like 182 00:10:57,920 --> 00:11:02,079 Speaker 1: bio works and everyone makes the d um we hang 183 00:11:02,120 --> 00:11:05,200 Speaker 1: out and yeah, because the population is very small, so 184 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:07,640 Speaker 1: it's like three thousand people, and the same thing. In 185 00:11:07,640 --> 00:11:11,360 Speaker 1: the summer, we have like winter markets with the town. 186 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:14,000 Speaker 1: So there's always like a really big celebration in the 187 00:11:14,040 --> 00:11:17,640 Speaker 1: winter and the summer, just as like, hey, this is 188 00:11:17,679 --> 00:11:21,320 Speaker 1: the longest day of the folia technically, Um, and this 189 00:11:21,400 --> 00:11:24,200 Speaker 1: is the first sunrise of the year. Let's celebrate these 190 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:28,079 Speaker 1: things because it's amazing that we get light back all 191 00:11:28,160 --> 00:11:32,000 Speaker 1: like the light then goes away. And um, what about 192 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:35,880 Speaker 1: the people there who have lived there for decades or centuries? 193 00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:38,800 Speaker 1: Have there been any ways that they've been affected by 194 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:43,440 Speaker 1: this kind of living? Yeah, I mean, I know, maybe 195 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:47,960 Speaker 1: not even just Canada, but across the entire circumpolar and 196 00:11:48,040 --> 00:11:53,160 Speaker 1: Circumarctic globe that does a thing called midnight summer craziness. 197 00:11:54,320 --> 00:11:57,240 Speaker 1: So people people do go a little bit loopylu and 198 00:11:57,800 --> 00:12:00,800 Speaker 1: in the summer just because you just don't sleep as much. 199 00:12:01,360 --> 00:12:04,040 Speaker 1: But I know that in the past, and this is 200 00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:10,400 Speaker 1: speaking just from general knowledge that people generally who were 201 00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:15,520 Speaker 1: indigenous and lived on the land were really good at 202 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:20,959 Speaker 1: just following the animals and living with their families and 203 00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:24,280 Speaker 1: kids are just playing out at like five am, like 204 00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:27,760 Speaker 1: two I am because it doesn't really matter. So people 205 00:12:27,880 --> 00:12:30,320 Speaker 1: have more like a nap culture and kind of just 206 00:12:30,360 --> 00:12:34,600 Speaker 1: sleep whenever they want to. So do you feel like 207 00:12:34,640 --> 00:12:38,440 Speaker 1: you've adapted to this, like your circadian rhythm, for example, 208 00:12:38,440 --> 00:12:40,640 Speaker 1: has adapted to this, or is it something that's still 209 00:12:41,040 --> 00:12:43,440 Speaker 1: jarring for you after several years of living in this 210 00:12:44,040 --> 00:12:46,439 Speaker 1: actually I kind of like it. Yeah, I think I've 211 00:12:46,480 --> 00:12:48,600 Speaker 1: got used to it for sure. And what about your 212 00:12:48,600 --> 00:12:50,880 Speaker 1: sleep quality? Do you notice the difference in your sleep 213 00:12:51,360 --> 00:12:57,480 Speaker 1: when it's extended periods of sunlight versus extended periods of darkness? Definitely. 214 00:12:57,520 --> 00:13:00,840 Speaker 1: At the beginning, yeah, Like in my first maybe six 215 00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:04,439 Speaker 1: months here, it was pretty difficult. But then I learned 216 00:13:04,480 --> 00:13:10,839 Speaker 1: about operation Nighttime in the house. I've really taken that 217 00:13:10,960 --> 00:13:15,079 Speaker 1: to heart and employed that thoroughly. When I talked about 218 00:13:15,120 --> 00:13:18,839 Speaker 1: the challenges that Addie faces with Dr Stephen Lockley, he 219 00:13:19,080 --> 00:13:22,800 Speaker 1: reiterated the extremely important role that our eyes play and 220 00:13:22,840 --> 00:13:27,800 Speaker 1: what the perception of brightness or darkness does in our brains. 221 00:13:27,880 --> 00:13:30,679 Speaker 1: So the first thing to think about is what's happening 222 00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:34,200 Speaker 1: at the eye as opposed to what's happening in the environment. 223 00:13:34,960 --> 00:13:38,120 Speaker 1: It's the eye that detects the light to tell the 224 00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:41,320 Speaker 1: brain whether it's day or night, which then in turn 225 00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:44,680 Speaker 1: resets our circadian clock or twenty four hour o'clock, which 226 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:47,360 Speaker 1: then in turn tells the brain went to sleep, went 227 00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:49,440 Speaker 1: to be awake, when to eat, and so on and 228 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:52,600 Speaker 1: so forth. The environment doesn't always match what happens at 229 00:13:52,600 --> 00:13:56,400 Speaker 1: the eye. If you're in constant light, when you close 230 00:13:56,440 --> 00:14:00,280 Speaker 1: your eyes, you create a light dark cycle at the eye, 231 00:14:01,160 --> 00:14:04,640 Speaker 1: so the brain doesn't see constant light because you close 232 00:14:04,679 --> 00:14:07,960 Speaker 1: your eyes to go to sleep. So in that situation, 233 00:14:08,160 --> 00:14:11,400 Speaker 1: closing your eyes then helps to reset a circadian clock. 234 00:14:14,720 --> 00:14:16,679 Speaker 1: We'll be right back after a brief message from our 235 00:14:16,679 --> 00:14:27,280 Speaker 1: partners at Mattress Firm, and now back to chasing sleep. 236 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:35,600 Speaker 1: Light or lack thereof, obviously plays an important role in 237 00:14:35,680 --> 00:14:38,480 Speaker 1: not just the quality of our sleep, but the timing 238 00:14:38,480 --> 00:14:41,560 Speaker 1: of it as well. We see effects on sleep from 239 00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:44,600 Speaker 1: the sun and the lights in our homes, even the 240 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:47,640 Speaker 1: light from our cell phones. Addie has to black out 241 00:14:47,920 --> 00:14:51,880 Speaker 1: her entire home every night when it's constant daylight. So 242 00:14:52,120 --> 00:14:55,000 Speaker 1: what about the opposite of that, What sort of challenges 243 00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:58,440 Speaker 1: would we see in our sleep living in constant darkness. 244 00:14:59,560 --> 00:15:01,840 Speaker 1: So in modern day, obviously we have electric light, we 245 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:04,240 Speaker 1: have man made light. In the past there may have 246 00:15:04,280 --> 00:15:08,240 Speaker 1: been firelight or gas light, and so it would be 247 00:15:08,400 --> 00:15:12,120 Speaker 1: unusual to be in complete darkness for that entire time. 248 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:15,400 Speaker 1: And again, if you create a light dark cycle through 249 00:15:15,440 --> 00:15:19,200 Speaker 1: whatever source of light, you're providing a time que to 250 00:15:19,280 --> 00:15:22,600 Speaker 1: the brain to tell the brain when it's day or night. Now, 251 00:15:22,920 --> 00:15:26,320 Speaker 1: there are scenarios that are similar to what you've just described, 252 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:28,760 Speaker 1: and for a lot of my career I've studied the 253 00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:32,920 Speaker 1: impact of blindness on circadian rhythms and sleep. Interesting. So 254 00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:35,640 Speaker 1: if you don't have eyes, or if you have an 255 00:15:35,640 --> 00:15:39,400 Speaker 1: eye disorder which completely stops any light perception, then your 256 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:44,240 Speaker 1: brain is essentially in constant darkness. And in that situation, 257 00:15:44,600 --> 00:15:48,600 Speaker 1: individuals have a disorder because they can't in train, they 258 00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:52,160 Speaker 1: can't synchronize their daily clocks to a light dark cycle, 259 00:15:52,520 --> 00:15:54,680 Speaker 1: and they in fact to run on their own internal time, 260 00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:57,000 Speaker 1: and that causes problems when you're trying to live in 261 00:15:57,040 --> 00:15:59,960 Speaker 1: a twenty four hour world. So there are scenarios where 262 00:16:00,040 --> 00:16:03,960 Speaker 1: people do live in complete darkness, but we always have 263 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:06,960 Speaker 1: to keep in mind what the environment is and then 264 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:10,280 Speaker 1: what the retina and what the eye is receiving, and 265 00:16:10,320 --> 00:16:12,840 Speaker 1: so most of us still live in a light dark cycle, 266 00:16:13,400 --> 00:16:17,920 Speaker 1: even if we're at those extreme northern latitudes. M got it, 267 00:16:18,440 --> 00:16:21,840 Speaker 1: And I'm curious what role does melotonin playing all of this. 268 00:16:22,120 --> 00:16:25,240 Speaker 1: It seems like melotonin, from what I understand, your body 269 00:16:25,240 --> 00:16:28,680 Speaker 1: produces it based at least in part in light signals 270 00:16:28,720 --> 00:16:33,400 Speaker 1: to the brain. With internal melatonin, your natural melatonin doesn't 271 00:16:33,440 --> 00:16:38,040 Speaker 1: need light or dark to be released. It's released automatically 272 00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:41,160 Speaker 1: by the circadian clock, and so the clock sends a 273 00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:43,520 Speaker 1: signal to the pineal gland, which is where melatonin is 274 00:16:43,560 --> 00:16:46,840 Speaker 1: released from, and that will happen on the twenty four 275 00:16:46,880 --> 00:16:51,000 Speaker 1: hour pattern. Even though there's no light dark cycle. So 276 00:16:51,040 --> 00:16:53,560 Speaker 1: in the blind people I was talking about earlier, they 277 00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:56,960 Speaker 1: still have a daily signal or daily pattern of melatonin. 278 00:16:57,600 --> 00:16:59,880 Speaker 1: It just can't be synchronized to the light dark cycle. 279 00:17:00,440 --> 00:17:02,840 Speaker 1: But if you have eyes, if you can detect light, 280 00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:07,199 Speaker 1: then melatonin cycles so that it's maximum at night and 281 00:17:07,280 --> 00:17:10,560 Speaker 1: minimum in the daytime. It isn't a sleep hormone, which 282 00:17:10,600 --> 00:17:14,200 Speaker 1: sometimes people often think it is. It's a darkness hormone, 283 00:17:14,640 --> 00:17:17,879 Speaker 1: and so it tells the brain it's night now. In 284 00:17:17,960 --> 00:17:21,640 Speaker 1: humans that means go to sleep, and so melantoni means 285 00:17:21,680 --> 00:17:24,760 Speaker 1: go to sleep. In humans, dark and sleep go together. 286 00:17:25,359 --> 00:17:27,639 Speaker 1: And so what that Meltonian signal does it helps the 287 00:17:27,680 --> 00:17:31,800 Speaker 1: brain tell the difference between night and day. Now, if 288 00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:34,320 Speaker 1: you shine a light at your eyes at night, then 289 00:17:34,359 --> 00:17:38,400 Speaker 1: your melotonium will be stopped. So when the brain sees light, 290 00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:42,600 Speaker 1: it thinks daytime. It suppresses your melatonin. It makes you 291 00:17:42,640 --> 00:17:45,359 Speaker 1: more alert, it increases your heart rate, it increases your 292 00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:48,480 Speaker 1: temperature because naturally the only time you would see light 293 00:17:48,960 --> 00:17:51,679 Speaker 1: is in the daytime. So when we expose ourselves to 294 00:17:51,760 --> 00:17:55,240 Speaker 1: light at night, we're confusing the body clock, we're confusing 295 00:17:55,240 --> 00:17:59,600 Speaker 1: the brain because light means day. Another thing I wanted 296 00:17:59,600 --> 00:18:01,720 Speaker 1: to ask you at which I find really fascinating, is 297 00:18:02,200 --> 00:18:04,760 Speaker 1: there's been some literature more and more in recent years, 298 00:18:05,240 --> 00:18:10,600 Speaker 1: looking into this phenomenon of bi phasic sleeping, where you know, 299 00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:13,760 Speaker 1: before the dawn of electricity, people went to bed very early, 300 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:16,840 Speaker 1: as soon as the sun set. In many cases, you know, 301 00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:18,480 Speaker 1: they may have woken up in the middle of the 302 00:18:18,600 --> 00:18:21,560 Speaker 1: night to do all sorts of things by candle light, door, 303 00:18:21,640 --> 00:18:25,000 Speaker 1: to do some agricultural work, and then would go back 304 00:18:25,040 --> 00:18:27,720 Speaker 1: to sleep until the sun came up. Do you have 305 00:18:27,720 --> 00:18:32,040 Speaker 1: any thoughts on this phenomenon. It's very interesting observation and 306 00:18:32,119 --> 00:18:34,720 Speaker 1: whether we've you know, what we've done to change our 307 00:18:34,760 --> 00:18:38,040 Speaker 1: our behavior in modern times. And first of all, we 308 00:18:38,080 --> 00:18:40,680 Speaker 1: have to think again about light sources. You just had 309 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:42,960 Speaker 1: people got up to do things by candle light, well, 310 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:46,040 Speaker 1: that wouldn't have a very big impact on your circadian 311 00:18:46,080 --> 00:18:49,440 Speaker 1: rhythms of sleep. Ah that's a good point. So even 312 00:18:49,440 --> 00:18:52,280 Speaker 1: in a bi phasic sleeping cycle, you would still need 313 00:18:52,320 --> 00:18:55,640 Speaker 1: a source of light for any period or being awake. 314 00:18:56,119 --> 00:18:57,919 Speaker 1: It's not like this would be effective to get up 315 00:18:57,920 --> 00:19:00,200 Speaker 1: in the middle of the night, say, and try to 316 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:04,359 Speaker 1: be productive in complete darkness. So these are low levels 317 00:19:04,359 --> 00:19:07,639 Speaker 1: of light which have minimal impact on your circadian rhythms 318 00:19:07,640 --> 00:19:11,640 Speaker 1: and alertness. If you expose people to a longer night, 319 00:19:12,359 --> 00:19:17,159 Speaker 1: they're melatonin profile lengthens, and so what the Melatonian signal 320 00:19:17,400 --> 00:19:19,640 Speaker 1: does in the brain is tell the brain how long 321 00:19:19,760 --> 00:19:22,359 Speaker 1: night is. In the summer, you will have a shorter 322 00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:26,760 Speaker 1: scout period, a shorter night period, and produce melatonium for 323 00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:30,320 Speaker 1: a shorter time. Then in the winter, as you expand 324 00:19:30,359 --> 00:19:34,560 Speaker 1: the night, your melatonin profile expands and gets longer. So 325 00:19:34,760 --> 00:19:39,040 Speaker 1: humans still have the capability to change their biology based 326 00:19:39,040 --> 00:19:42,639 Speaker 1: on season through this change in in melatonin. And what 327 00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:44,919 Speaker 1: probably happened is if you don't have electric light to 328 00:19:44,960 --> 00:19:47,400 Speaker 1: stay up, you would go to bed earlier. You could 329 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:49,960 Speaker 1: all try that yourselves, don't turn an electric light on 330 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:52,600 Speaker 1: after dusk and see if you go to bed earlier. 331 00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:55,600 Speaker 1: I suspect you probably will if you've gotten nothing to 332 00:19:55,640 --> 00:19:58,240 Speaker 1: do but lie in bed in the dark, the chances 333 00:19:58,240 --> 00:20:01,840 Speaker 1: are you going to sleep for longer, And we override 334 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:05,639 Speaker 1: each and every day on natural biology by having access 335 00:20:05,680 --> 00:20:10,199 Speaker 1: to light after dusk and no light after dusk is normal. 336 00:20:10,840 --> 00:20:13,960 Speaker 1: We would never see substantial amounts of light after dusk 337 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:17,159 Speaker 1: with a natural light dog cycle. So all of it 338 00:20:17,240 --> 00:20:19,919 Speaker 1: is changing our biology. And in fact what's happened is 339 00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:21,919 Speaker 1: all of us are shifted later than we should be. 340 00:20:22,400 --> 00:20:24,119 Speaker 1: We all go to bed too late based on the 341 00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:26,919 Speaker 1: natural rhythms, and we all probably sleep less than we 342 00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:29,399 Speaker 1: would have done in the past, at least based on 343 00:20:29,440 --> 00:20:33,280 Speaker 1: that natural cycle. So by phasic sleeping was likely the 344 00:20:33,359 --> 00:20:36,439 Speaker 1: natural result of the day night cycle in a world 345 00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:39,880 Speaker 1: with little or no human made light sources. And as 346 00:20:39,920 --> 00:20:43,320 Speaker 1: we evolved and built electric light and we began using 347 00:20:43,600 --> 00:20:47,600 Speaker 1: light sources like our smartphones, we fundamentally changed our day 348 00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:51,920 Speaker 1: night cycle. I guess that really shows just how incredibly 349 00:20:51,960 --> 00:20:56,000 Speaker 1: impactful perceptions of light and dark are on our brains. 350 00:20:56,560 --> 00:21:00,239 Speaker 1: But I am curious, are there other aspects of our 351 00:21:00,280 --> 00:21:04,200 Speaker 1: biology that can be disrupted by these types of extreme 352 00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:09,040 Speaker 1: day night cycles? Yes, so the Cicadian clock, the twenty 353 00:21:09,240 --> 00:21:12,440 Speaker 1: our body clock, controls much more than sleep, and so 354 00:21:12,520 --> 00:21:15,040 Speaker 1: we know that the clock will control many hormones. We've 355 00:21:15,080 --> 00:21:20,320 Speaker 1: mentioned melatonin, Cortisol is another strongly circadian hormone. But the 356 00:21:20,320 --> 00:21:27,359 Speaker 1: patterns of your performance, your mood, your immune function, reproductive function, metabolism, 357 00:21:27,359 --> 00:21:31,760 Speaker 1: both glucose and lipid metabolism, bone metabolism, many of these 358 00:21:32,080 --> 00:21:35,639 Speaker 1: body systems are controlled by your circadian clock in the 359 00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:39,680 Speaker 1: brain and also circadian clocks that we have in the periphery. 360 00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:43,159 Speaker 1: And so if you have disruption of the clock, mainly 361 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:46,080 Speaker 1: through a change in light dark cycles, then all the 362 00:21:46,119 --> 00:21:48,359 Speaker 1: other body systems that are controlled by the clock will 363 00:21:48,400 --> 00:21:51,760 Speaker 1: also be disrupted. And so if we use shift workers 364 00:21:51,840 --> 00:21:55,720 Speaker 1: as an example of cicadian disruption, we find that shift 365 00:21:55,720 --> 00:22:00,000 Speaker 1: workers have a much higher risk of things like heart disease, diabet, 366 00:22:00,040 --> 00:22:04,240 Speaker 1: eat is depression, some cancers because of these different body 367 00:22:04,240 --> 00:22:06,959 Speaker 1: systems that are interrupted when we try and reverse our 368 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:09,159 Speaker 1: cycle and stay awake at night and sleep in the 369 00:22:09,240 --> 00:22:13,160 Speaker 1: day the many shift workers do. Now, if we're thinking 370 00:22:13,160 --> 00:22:16,399 Speaker 1: of an environment where the environment is twenty four hours 371 00:22:16,400 --> 00:22:20,000 Speaker 1: of light, remember again, when you go to sleep, you 372 00:22:20,040 --> 00:22:23,720 Speaker 1: close your eyes and create a light dark cycle, so 373 00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:26,600 Speaker 1: there won't necessarily be much in the way of cicadian 374 00:22:26,600 --> 00:22:31,120 Speaker 1: disruption if you keep a stable sleep pattern. So if 375 00:22:31,160 --> 00:22:33,640 Speaker 1: you are in Alaska and you go to bed at 376 00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:35,760 Speaker 1: the same time every night and turn the lights off, 377 00:22:35,800 --> 00:22:38,400 Speaker 1: close your eyes, put on an eyemask, and then wake 378 00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:41,040 Speaker 1: up at the same time in the morning, that will 379 00:22:41,119 --> 00:22:43,960 Speaker 1: provide the signal to the clock to keep your rhythms 380 00:22:43,960 --> 00:22:47,960 Speaker 1: properly synchronized. The other thing that people do experience, though 381 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:52,520 Speaker 1: with twenty four hours sunlight is an activation. Light as 382 00:22:52,520 --> 00:22:55,080 Speaker 1: well as shifting the clock, can also be a stimulant. 383 00:22:55,359 --> 00:22:58,080 Speaker 1: It stimulates a brain, it makes you more alert, and 384 00:22:58,119 --> 00:23:01,479 Speaker 1: so sometimes people will report in the summer where they 385 00:23:01,480 --> 00:23:04,480 Speaker 1: have these very long days feeling very active, not needing 386 00:23:04,560 --> 00:23:08,240 Speaker 1: much sleep, having quite a good mood. And then when 387 00:23:08,280 --> 00:23:10,240 Speaker 1: we have less of that light, we may not feel 388 00:23:10,280 --> 00:23:14,200 Speaker 1: as as happy or have as much alertness. So there's 389 00:23:14,320 --> 00:23:16,840 Speaker 1: two effects of light. If you like, light synchronizes the clock, 390 00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:25,080 Speaker 1: but it also helps maintain your alertness level. The mechanisms 391 00:23:25,119 --> 00:23:29,920 Speaker 1: behind how light and darkness affects sleep are fascinating. It's 392 00:23:29,960 --> 00:23:33,439 Speaker 1: the retina that sends signals to the brain to release 393 00:23:33,480 --> 00:23:37,439 Speaker 1: hormones and melatonin. I wanted to get Steven's advice on 394 00:23:37,480 --> 00:23:40,480 Speaker 1: how to use this knowledge to our advantage in getting 395 00:23:40,480 --> 00:23:43,920 Speaker 1: the best sleep possible. So I asked him, what are 396 00:23:43,960 --> 00:23:46,280 Speaker 1: some things we can do to improve our own sleep, 397 00:23:46,560 --> 00:23:49,080 Speaker 1: whether we live in the Arctic Circle or in the 398 00:23:49,119 --> 00:23:53,600 Speaker 1: continental United States or anywhere else. So I think, again, 399 00:23:53,640 --> 00:23:56,359 Speaker 1: the key is light, and I'll keep going back to light. 400 00:23:56,440 --> 00:23:59,680 Speaker 1: But it's such a powerful biological impact on our sleep. 401 00:23:59,720 --> 00:24:03,480 Speaker 1: And so Cadian rhythms, your melotonian rhythm, your natural melatonian 402 00:24:03,560 --> 00:24:06,280 Speaker 1: rhythm comes up at about two to three hours before sleep. 403 00:24:07,200 --> 00:24:10,119 Speaker 1: And so if that melatonin rhythm is the signal of 404 00:24:10,200 --> 00:24:13,399 Speaker 1: darkness to the brain, having as much darkness as you 405 00:24:13,480 --> 00:24:15,560 Speaker 1: can two to three hours before you go to bed 406 00:24:15,880 --> 00:24:19,760 Speaker 1: is going to preserve that signal. You do that every day, 407 00:24:20,040 --> 00:24:22,000 Speaker 1: you will start to shift your body clock a little 408 00:24:22,040 --> 00:24:25,560 Speaker 1: bit earlier, which means you'll fall asleep a little bit quicker, 409 00:24:26,080 --> 00:24:29,680 Speaker 1: you'll have better quality sleep, you'll sleep for longer. Doing 410 00:24:29,720 --> 00:24:32,160 Speaker 1: something relaxing is of course very good to help calm 411 00:24:32,160 --> 00:24:34,280 Speaker 1: the brain down, but it needs to be something which 412 00:24:34,320 --> 00:24:37,760 Speaker 1: doesn't involve much light. If you're going to read, read 413 00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:41,560 Speaker 1: a real book with a dim bedside lamp. Don't read 414 00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:43,960 Speaker 1: from an iPad, don't read from a phone, don't read 415 00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:47,960 Speaker 1: from a laptop because that light is alerting you. People 416 00:24:47,960 --> 00:24:53,000 Speaker 1: find that relaxation techniques meditation, particularly yoga, can be helpful 417 00:24:53,240 --> 00:24:56,119 Speaker 1: for sleep, but again they need to be in a 418 00:24:56,200 --> 00:25:00,160 Speaker 1: dim environment if possible, a warm bath is helpful. Need 419 00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:03,359 Speaker 1: to lose heat in order to fall asleep, and so 420 00:25:03,520 --> 00:25:06,760 Speaker 1: warm bath or a shower again without much light, it 421 00:25:06,800 --> 00:25:10,119 Speaker 1: would be helpful. Take that time out to have that 422 00:25:10,200 --> 00:25:12,120 Speaker 1: little bit of time for yourself. Those sorts of things 423 00:25:12,119 --> 00:25:20,480 Speaker 1: will help you fall asleep. That's all for this episode. 424 00:25:20,800 --> 00:25:23,159 Speaker 1: Join me again next week when we learn about the 425 00:25:23,160 --> 00:25:27,000 Speaker 1: sleeping habits of the people who studies sleep itself. We 426 00:25:27,040 --> 00:25:29,480 Speaker 1: want to hear from you. Leave a rating or review 427 00:25:29,520 --> 00:25:32,480 Speaker 1: for our show on your podcast player of choice. You 428 00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:35,119 Speaker 1: can find me on Twitter at on a Hot O'Connor 429 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:39,320 Speaker 1: Until next time, Hoping you're living your best while sleeping 430 00:25:39,320 --> 00:25:42,960 Speaker 1: your best. Chasing Sleep is a production of I Heart 431 00:25:43,040 --> 00:25:47,240 Speaker 1: Radio in partnership with Mattress Firm. Our executive producer is 432 00:25:47,280 --> 00:25:51,280 Speaker 1: Molly Sosha. Our EP of post is James Foster. Our 433 00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:56,160 Speaker 1: supervising producer is Kia Swinton. Our producer is Sierra Kaiser. 434 00:25:56,920 --> 00:25:59,679 Speaker 1: This show is hosted by me on a Hot O'Connor 435 00:26:00,680 --> 00:26:03,600 Speaker 1: as s