Jason is blind and although sometimes he sleeps well for several days, more often he suffers from insomnia and poor, disrupted sleep and then sleepiness and lack of energy at work on those days. Then, eventually, he=ll have several days of good sleep (thank goodness!).
Explain what might be causing Jason=s irregularities in ability to sleep?
Let=s say Jason had 6 Agood sleep@ days (Monday - Saturday), but then again started to have problems, so that by the following Friday and Saturday he is really not feeling tired at bedtime, but is really really feeling tired during the day.
Jason was monitored at the chronotherapy clinic and had a good night of sleep. Blood tests revealed that on that day his melatonin was released at 8 PM. The clinic asked him to come back 12 days latter for a second monitoring. Make a guess as to when melatonin release will be detected on that occasion and explain your reasoning.
What might you, the chronotherapist, suggest to
Jason to try
to keep his circadian rhythms in synchrony with the daily rhythm of his
environment and work sched
Janet is a police officer who has been working the 8 AM to 4 PM shift for some time. Now she is moving to the midnight to 8 AM shift. Midnight used to be her regular bedtime! Biologically do you think it would be easier for her to try to move her bedtime to shortly after she gets home (say 10 AM- 6 PM) and then spend evenings with family and friends or should she sleep just before her shift (say 2PM to 10PM)? Why?
What kinds of things could you suggest she do to switch her circadian rhythms to the new schedule you have decided on? (Be specific about the timing of whatever you suggest)
Case 3 : Manipulating Circadian Rhythms
What can she do while still in California to begin to shift her biorhythms to NY time? (Be specific about the timing of what you suggest)
What can she do once she is in New York to speed up the shifting of her rhythms?
Let=s say she does nothing - just flies to NYC the day before her job starts.
If she then tries to go to bed at midnight (NY
time) the
night before she starts work, her body and
circadian rhythms will be functioning like it is really what time? ________________
When she starts her job at 8 AM the next morning
her body
and
circadian rhythms will be functioning like it is really what time? ________________
Case 4: Manipulating Circadian Rhythms
Sam lives in upstate New York and is going to Los Angeles (3 time zones away) over Christmas break. He takes a Ared-eye@ (late) flight that gets him to L.A. at 1 AM. By the time he gets to his hotel it is 3 AM California time, so he goes to bed but finds himself awake and unable to sleep any more at 8 AM.
At 3 AM Sam=s body and circadian rhythms will be functioning as if it were ____________
At 8 AM Sam=s body and circadian rhythms wil be functioning as if it were _____________
That evening at 10 PM the Los Angeles nightlife is just beginning, but
Sam=s body will be telling him that it is __________________.
What can Sam do to help his circadian rhythms shift to California time as quickly as possible so he can make the most of his vacation? (Be specific about the timing of what you suggest)