We all know that there are animals who are awake in the day and those who are awake at night. This is true for all their species, and it is rare for one of their members to deviate.

But what about humans? We have 24-hour schedules to the point that most major cities have 24 hour services to accommodate all the night shift workers as well as those doing business through the day.

What makes us different from the rest of the habitants on this planet?

Human innovation. It’s as simple as that. We as a species have the same complex hormonal system that tells us to be awake with the sun and sleep with the moon, but with the invention of the electric light bulb by Thomas Edison, we have been able to manipulate that system to be awake at night and be able to see clearly by flicking the switch and turning on the lights. However, is this really a good thing for all of us?

The research is showing it’s not.

More people suffer from “sleep debt”, which is not having enough sleep on a regular basis, leading to increased use of caffeine and other stimulants to stay awake and then we crash when our bodies can’t handle the debt any longer. The price of this chronic debt includes impaired cognitive function, leading to loss of productivity, and increased accident rates not only outside the home but inside as well. Think about the “clumsy” things you did the last time, was it clumsy or were you not fully awake? Sleep debt will also lead to loss in vitality and optimism that herald the beginning of anxiety and depressive disorders along with compromised immune systems.

The use of the stimulants carries their own side effects which can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and cancer. While we may be able to mitigate these side effects with using less to “get by”, the real healing will happen when start respecting the importance of sleep and its role in our health.

Turn down those lights earlier in the evening to simulate the dying of the fire and remove all blue light from where you sleep so you get the best night’s sleep you can think of. If you are a night shift worker, as I know some of you are, black out curtains are a must combined with sound canceling headphones and ridding your space of blue light will help you restore your sleep as well.

Let’s do our part to help keep our community safe by sleeping better and having more ENERGIZED days!