Normalize the biorhythm will help travel to nature
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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To forget about the lethargy and drowsiness that has become the norm of our daily life is very simple. Weekly vacation in nature without a phone and a laptop is able to adjust the work of biological clocks.
The level of the hormone melatonin, which affects the phase of sleep and wakefulness, rises a few hours before sleep, which is felt easy drowsiness. Before awakening, the amount of the hormone decreases accordingly. The hormone can be compared to an internal alarm clock. What factors influence the production of melatonin?
Scientists agree that the daily rhythm depends on the illumination. In the human body there is a "built-in function" that captures the period of sunrise and sunset, which adjusts all organs properly. Humanity with the discovery of electricity has long lived by its own laws - artificial light, TV, computer and other devices are knocking down natural biorhythms.
On the one hand, this makes it possible not to feel drowsy almost all night, but on the other hand it gives a feeling of complete frustration for the whole day. The most interesting is that drowsiness occurs during periods when sleep was given enough time.
The reason for this unexpected somnolence lies in the failure of the regulation of melatonin, which does not diminish upon awakening. The possibility of bringing the hormone fluctuations back to normal was given to scientists at the University of Colorado (USA, Boulder). Studies were conducted on eight volunteers using sensors that fixed the number and type of lighting around the clock, as well as changing sleep and wakefulness. The first week of the experiment was no different from the usual rhythm of the life of volunteers spending a lot of time in artificial lighting. The first step was completed by taking saliva for analysis in order to determine the quantitative content of melatonin.
The second part of the study led volunteers to nature, where they lived in tents for a week. They were deprived of all electronic devices and artificial light. After that, the subjects again checked the level of melatonin in the body.
Nature normalized human biorhythm: the content of the hormone melatonin increased two hours before sunset, and before sunrise - naturally decreased. The most noticeable changes occurred with people who considered themselves "owls." Such subjects in the bosom of nature turned into "larks". From the day's lethargy, drowsiness was gone.
All the subjects were physically and mentally healthy people who had no problems with sleep, so the results of the experiment are indicative for most of us. If you can not sleep, feel broken and tired, then the way out is to go to nature or limit contact with electronic devices in the dark. A full eight-hour sleep will not save you from yawning during the day if you spend time at the TV or computer monitor before going to bed.
Scientists also plan to test people with sleep disorders. It is appropriate to pay attention to the level of social activity, lifestyle, physical form of the participants in the experiment. Since these factors can affect the biorhythms.
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