Staying Healthy
Can I change my sleep-wake habits?
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I've always been a night owl, but now really drag in the morning. Is it too late to adjust my sleep-wake times?Our personal circadian clock regulates the pattern of sleeping and waking during the 24-hour cycle. Most of us experience a major "sleepiness" peak between midnight and 6 a.m. and a minor one between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Of course, this can vary among individuals. The larks among us might be ready for bed at 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. and awaken at 5 a.m., while some night owls don't fall asleep until well after midnight and prefer sleeping in. Exposure to light (or lack thereof) has the most influence on circadian rhythms. In a recent study, researchers successfully used this multipronged strategy to reset sleep-wake times for night owls.
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