Sleep UNCOVERED In 1964 an American teenager named Randy Gardner wanted to do something exciting for his science fair project He decided to try to break the Guinness World Record for staying awake the longest which meant going without any sleep at all for 11 whole days and nights If you've ever tried to stay awake for one night at a sleepover you'll know what Randy was getting himself into Randy didn't find the first couple of sleepless nights too difficult Friends helped him stay alert by playing games and sports with him talking to him and encouraging him to take cold showers when he needed to perk up But the longer Randy stayed awake the more he began to struggle Randy managed to break the world record and win the science fair by staying awake for 264 straight hours amazing More important though Randy's experiment helped scientists confirm just how necessary sleep is for humans While we're sleeping our bodies and brains perform tasks that help us function at our best while we're awake So how exactly does sleep work What's really going on on the inside when we appear mostly still and quiet on the outside Tights Out Guinness World Records no longer keeps track of the longest time spent awake Because long periods of sleeplessness can be dangerous for humans Guinness didn't want to encourage other people to try the same experiment Randy did
His eyelids grew heavy He experienced blurry vision that made it hard to read or watch television Interesting He became cranky and didn't want to cooperate He had trouble speaking He grew clumsier and more and more forgetful Hello Kandy Mom He even started seeing things that weren't actually there
Tick Tock OUR BIOLOGICAL CLOCK You probably wear a watch or carry a device that tells time Like other living creatures you also have a biological or built in clock that helps determine when you should be awake and when you should be asleep This natural programming of your body is known as a circadian sir CAY dee an rhythm In the same way that Earth rotates on its axis once every 24 hours your body follows a 24 hour cycle of waking and sleeping Your brain contains a group of nerve cells called the suprachiasmatic nucleus soo prah KY as MAT IC NOO clee us or SCN located between and behind your eyes The SCN picks up clues about light and dark from the retina a thin layer of tissue at the back of your eye that receives light and sends electrical signals to your brain The SCN sends messages to other parts of your brain and body to coordinate the timing of important tasks such as eating sleeping and producing hormones When it grows dark outside the SCN tells your body to release melatonin a hormone that helps you feel drowsy The melatonin levels in your body are ten times higher at night than they are during the day Suprachiasmatic nucleus Light Retina When the SCN detects daylight reaching your retina it sends messages to let your body know it's go time Your temperature rises and your body releases a hormone called cortisol which makes you alert
TOO TIRED If you've ever traveled to a different time zone you've probably noticed your own circadian rhythm Did you feel tired foggy headed or grouchy as you adjusted to the new day and night schedule This experience is called jet lag and it happens because the human body needs several days or sometimes weeks to reset its internal clock People who work night shifts such as hospital and hotel workers police officers pilots and truck drivers might also find the changes to their normal sleep patterns challenging Shift workers must find a way to sleep during sunlight hours and be awake and alert when it's dark outside Earplugs and room darkening curtains might help with daytime sleep while eating well and staying active at work might encourage nighttime alertness
