Outside factors like school, jobs, kids, and partners can shape our sleep schedules at different points in life. Add environmental factors that can either help sync or throw off the internal clock in the brain that tells our body when it’s bedtime, and it can be hard to tell what times you’d naturally fall asleep and wake up.
And there is evidence that many people do have a natural sleep/wake rhythm, but yours may be different than mine. Let’s just say I’m not one of those people that happily bounces out of bed at sunrise. But maybe you are.
When your daily routine doesn’t match your natural sleep pattern, it can be more difficult to get the amount of sleep your body needs. And a growing body of research has shown that too little shut-eye increases our risk for a host of physical and mental ills, from Type 2 diabetes to depression and substance use disorder.
So how can you identify your innate sleep pattern? And how do you go about working with it so you can optimize your wellbeing?
I discussed those questions and more with sleep physicians and researchers for my latest Good Times health feature: ‘What is Your Sleep Pattern?’
A big thank-you to the interviewees who so generously shared their time, expertise, and personal experience:
- Dr. Joseph De Koninck, a professor emertitus with the School of Psychology and Institute of Mental Health Research (Royal), at the University of Ottawa.
- Dr. Elliott Lee, an assistant professor and sleep specialist at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre.
- Dr. Vicki Soloniuk, a paediatrician in Davis, California.
- Nicholas van den Berg, a student representative for the Canadian Sleep Society, and a PhD candidate in Sleep and Memory Consolidation, at the University of Ottawa’s sleep research laboratory.
Resources
- Canadian Sleep and Circadian Rhythm Network
- Canadian Sleep Society
- Sleep on It Canada (a Canadian public health campaign on sleep)