Sleep in the Dark

It is four o'clock in the morning and I am sitting in the fluorescent light infested east room of LaFortune. Not the best time to be reading an article about how over-exposure to light during the night time increases your risk of cancer, but I digress. The articles grouped under the title "Sleep in the Dark" each discuss studies where evidence point to the fact that A.) melatonin is a cancer suppressor and B.) that sleeping with the lights on (overexposure to light) stunts your production of melatonin. Based on these two statements, overexposure to light increases your risk of cancer. My two key points will describe these two key statements.

First off, these articles as a whole assert that melatonin is a cancer suppressor. The last article in particular makes a point of noting that "there is abundant evidence indicating that melatonin is involved in preventing tumor initiation, promotion, and progression." A lot of the language used to describe this phenomenon is way over my head, but the conclusion is clear: more melatonin produced by an individuals body, less likely that the individual will have cancer.

Second off, these articles as a whole assert that being exposed to light when we should be in the dark sleeping decreases a bodies production of melatonin. The first article says that "lighting fixtures should be designed to minimize interference with normal circadian rhythms in plants and animals" based on the fact that melatonin is produced because of these circadian rhythms. Individuals like those who work the night shift at their job are at high risk of producing dangerously low levels of this melatonin. They are awake and in the light when its dark outside, and they are asleep and still in the light when its light outside.

This article has instilled emotions resembling fear. I have an extremely unorthodox sleep schedule where I am up until 4 or 5 in the morning most days and take long naps during the time when it is light out. Based on these studies, I am thus at high risk for cancer. The question is though, what am I supposed to do? I am extremely productive in the wee hours of the morning and extremely unproductive during the day. It seems intuitive then that I would stay awake when I am focused and sleep when I am not. The problem now though is that I am being exposed to light in a contrary manner to my natural circadian rhythm. Essentially, this article has brought me awareness to this fact but at the same time I have no viable solution to fix it. As of right now it would be a feeble attempt to try and change my sleep cycle. I am permanently, or at least til the end of college, a night owl.

In terms of the big picture, this article ties in very well with the other readings assigned for March 4th. These articles also addressed health, but they were concerned with our diets. The connection between the two is that we as humans have begun practices that are unnatural and thus unhealthy. For instance, we have started eating things that are not actually food but artificial substances that closely resemble food. Similarly, we have rebelled against the traditional day of waking at sunrise and sleeping at by working nighttime jobs in an attempt to increase productivity. Both of these unnatural practices are increasing our health risks. By eating foods that are artificial and eating them in outrageous portions, we are increasing the chance that we will get heart disease or diabetes. By overexposing ourselves to unnatural light, we are increasing our chance of getting cancer.

Essentially these articles on melatonin, circadian rhythms and cancer are explicitly telling me to change my sleeping habits. They have presented facts based on valid research that prove that my practices are unhealthy and could very likely lead to cancer. At the end of the day, I would love to sleep at the natural times and respect my circadian rhythms, but I seem unable to break the habit. My studies require me to put in long hours every day, and based on the way I seem to function best, these long hours seem to be very late at night (early in the morning). With that being said, I will make a conscious effort to correct my sleep schedule as time goes on. Spring break is this week, so it should be a great opportunity to regroup and get on a proper nighttime regimen. If all of that does not work though, I will just have to keep my fingers crossed that the damage I do to my body during these years of college can be undone in the years that follow.

Questions -

Can sleep in pitch black during the day compensate for having to work the night shift?

Are there any artificial ways to increase your levels of melatonin?

Nine hours of sleep seems like a lot to maintain, is there anyways of cheating the system?