Sleep is the natural and periodic state of rest that all the animals go through. Sleeping habits are different in different parts of the world. These differences are visible between the cultures where artificial light is used and the ones where it is not common.
Investigation shows that the cultures, which do not believe in using much artificial light, like old times, experience broken-up sleep patterns. These people normally sleep in fits and bouts for a few hours at a time, waking at intervals for a variety of reasons. The invention of light into the households has actually shown a change in sleeping habits, resulting in more solid sleep as compared to the earlier naps.
Researchers are still investigating as to how the bright light is able to overcome depression, in addition to resetting a sleep cycle. One theory is that an area of the brain, near the visual pathway, responds to light by sending out a signal to suppress the secretion of a hormone called melatonin. This hormone, according to a proof, is able to induce sleep when the drive to sleep is not sufficient, and is able to inhibit the drive for wakefulness; thus, playing a role in how people sleep and wake up.
While earlier research indicated the visual pathways and the regulation of melatonin as a reason for this change in the sleep cycle, more recent researches have shown that if one applies bright light to the back of the knee, it may cause a shift in a the daily sleep-wake schedule. This revelation has suggested that the blood stream also has an effect on the biological clock, along with the neurons found in the visual cortex.
Regulation of light may also help how people wake up, which may particularly be important for individuals suffering from certain disorders. For example, winter depression or the cold blues, more commonly known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, (SAD) is when people with relatively normal mental health and disposition, seen as mentally and emotionally healthy individuals for most of the year, experience symptoms of depression most commonly in the winter, and sometimes at the change of other seasons, such as summer, spring or fall. Normally, this is a reoccurring phenomenon, and can be observed over time and also on an annual basis, in that particular season.
The symptoms of this disorder include abnormal sleep patterns. Light therapy, involving light bulbs providing intense illumination, is used as a form of treatment, which is effective.
When a person is asleep and the curtains are sharply drawn to reveal intense sunlight, he/she is usually woken up harshly. The sunlight definitely affects the person, causing the eyelids to flicker open. A person woken up in such a way would most probably be irritated.
Recently, many more products have been commenced in the market that introduce light to the room gradually rather than throwing immediate harsh lighting. This helps a person wake up slowly; as compared to the shock one receives due to sudden exposure to bright lights. Most people find this new option a friendlier choice. Therefore, we can conclude that light does play an important role in our lives and in out sleep-wake patterns.
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