Do you have sleep disorders? If you are struggling to fall asleep or you are sleeping way too early, you may have a sleep disorder. Very common sleep disorder is called Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders, when a person’s circadian rhythm (24-hour body clock) is misaligned with their sleep-wake schedule, resulting in disturbed sleep. This can cause excessive drowsiness, insomnia, and distress. People are diagnosed with this disorder when they experience delay or advance (early) in the timing of sleep onset and awakening compared with desired time pattern for more than three months.
In fact, about 9% to 15% of adults in US have those sleep disorders (one in five in Australia!!), so it is very common disorders than you might think. One of the main cause of the disorders is not being exposed to regular light cycles, low level of light in the evening, and bright light in the early morning. Your body releases melatonin (a hormone that induces drowsiness) when the low level of light is detected, and your body inhibits melatonin release when bright light is detected.
Easiest way to treat the circadian phase disorders is to use Bright Light Therapy (BLT). Bright light therapy can be used to advance or delay sleep so that you can match your sleep patterns to the desired cycle. Very easy to use, a person needs to sit near the light box (that produces light as strong as day light) for about 15 mins, once or twice a day, depending on the disorder. They do not necessarily need to look at it, and they can perform other tasks. Repeat this over several weeks, so the sleep pattern is adjusted to the time you want to sleep or wake up.
If your sleep pattern is delayed, such as sleeping late, BLT should be used in the early morning that you want to wake up at or closer to that time. Using this in the morning can inhibits your drowsiness and prompts to induce sleepiness at night. Also, you should limit nighttime exposure to light. If your sleep pattern is advanced, BLT should be then used in the early evening resulting in feeling sleepy later in the evening. Sleep is essential component of the day which repairs your body and brain, and if your sleep is deprived by the sleep disorders, BLT is very handful to fix this. Good sleep will improve your brain performance, mood, and health!
Written by Haira Tomihara