New research from the University of Surrey has found that living out of sync with your body clock affects the activity of more than 700 genes, disrupting several metabolic processes, including how we respond to stress and the ability of cells to regenerate. This may help to explain why regular disruption to sleep increases your risk of depression, as claimed by the University of Washington Medicine Sleep Centre, and puts you at higher risk of cancer and heart disease, as proven by a wealth of research. Scientists at the University of Chicago found that after only a few days of cutting back to four hours’ sleep a night, people struggled to process glucose in a similar way to the early stages of diabetes. When you travel frequently, you undermine two aspects of your sleep cycle – your sleep homeostat, which regulates the drive to sleep, and the body clock or circadian rhythm.
Fortunately, there are ways to fight insomnia. I encourage you to read our cover article where we talk about state-of-the-art hotel beds, tailor-made pillows, special diets, and gadgets that help us relax on the go. Enjoy your reading and have peaceful dreams!
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