Daylight Saving Time || Let the Phase Shifting Begin!

This month at SHC, the theme will center on sleep phase disorders, also known as circadian rhythm disorders, in which the brain responds inappropriately to changes in light and temperature. These are often (but not always) indicative of a switch to longer nights and shorter days.

Look for posts on time cues and sleep, non-24 sleep phase disorder, jet lag, advanced and delayed sleep phasing, shift work disorder and phototherapy before November is through.

You'll note the posts regarding circadian rhythm sleep dysfunctions by the icon, SHED SOME LIGHT, which is a play on the idea that while we lose light during the late fall and early winter, we can still be enlightened to these circadian rhythm changes and make healthy changes in our lifestyle to protect our sleep schedules.

In addition, we're playing with the image here of the first lightbulb lit by famous American scientist Thomas Edison; historically, the advent of electric light has had a major impact on sleep health, a subject to be explored in November at SleepyHeadCENTRAL. Stay tuned!

Expert Testimony || Blame it on Edison

"Why do roughly six billion humans sleep in a way that is contrary to what worked for millions of years? Because of a production that was once revolutionary and now costs less than two dollars: the lightbulb. The lamp next to your bed contains a device that has changed human sleep perhaps forever, and ushered in a new world of health problems that come from an overabundance of light."—Journalist and professor David K. Randall, author of Dreamland: Adventures in the Strange Science of Sleep