How does it happen?

Social jet lag might best be described through an example. Say you work a typical eight hour workday, one that requires you to wake up around 6AM or so every morning during a typical week. Because you wake up at 6AM during most mornings, your circadian rhythms might align with a natural sleeping pattern designed around waking up at such an early time. Even though you might not like it, you’re more accustomed to waking up at that time than any other time. But when the weekend rolls around, you relish the opportunity to sleep in later, maybe until 8, 9, or 10AM. The discrepancy between those two general wakeup times—weekdays and weekend mornings—can take a toll on your body because it just wants a regular sleeping schedule. Switching around your wakeup times can put a great deal of stress on the body.

In other words, the sudden shift in your sleeping habits is equitable to sleeping in a different time zone: your body suddenly struggles to stick to its circadian rhythms, and this takes a toll on various systems in a body.  Under the sleep-induced strain, your body can’t perform normal metabolic functions as well as when it’s properly rested. Thus, the stress induced by your body from oversleeping (or underseelping) could lead you to gain weight over a period of time.

Social jet lag is a common practice

Perhaps the biggest problem with social jet lag is that it’s a nearly ubiquitous phenomenon, at least in the US. How many times have you said or heard someone else say that they’re looking forward to the weekend to “catch up on some sleep?” Sleeping in late on the weekends is practically a cultural pastime for people in the US, particularly among people who work night shifts, keep long hours, or stay out late at night. If the social jet lag theory proves true, that could mean serious trouble for the health of millions of Americans, and just one more factor in the ongoing obesity epidemic plaguing the country.

What about you?

Do you think that you might be suffering from social jet lag? Would you be willing to sleep in less during the weekend if it meant maintaining a healthy weight? Let me know in the comments below!

About the author:

Amelia Wood contributed this guest post. She pursues freelance writing projects in the medical billing and coding online niche. She especially loves hearing back from her readers. Questions or comments can be sent to wood. amelia1612 @ gmail.com.

“Silently the senses
Abandon all defenses
A place between sleep and awake
End of innocence, unending masquerade”

- From the song “Sleepwalker” by Nightwish

Sleep-walking, also known as Somnambulism is a disorder of arousal that falls under the group of “Parasomnia“. In contrast to dyssomnias, which produce insomnia or excessive sleepiness, parasomnias include those disorders that intrude into or occur during sleep but do not produce a primary complaint of insomnia or excessive sleepiness. Besides sleep-walking, other parasomnias are tooth grinding, sleep talking, nightmares, bed wetting, night terrors, etc.

EXPLANATION THEORIES

The most accepted and scientific theory is “Incomplete NREM arousal“:
Incomplete arousal usually occuring during the deepest stage of nondreaming (NREM) sleep, stages 3 and 4 leading to a split state of consciousness in which there is motor wakefulness and psychic sleeping is the cause of somnambulism. It is during this phase of sleep, when the body will toss and turn or you steal the blanket from your partner. In contrast, sleep paralysis occur during dreaming (REM) sleep leading to psychic wakefulness and motor sleeping.

Other theories:

• Acting out dreams:

In the past, scientists thought that somnambulism is actually a dreamer acting out his/her dream. But this theory has been discarded as the episodes have been found to occur during NREM (non-dreaming) phase of sleep from experiments. This theory has been found to be the basis for REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RSBD).

• Trance theory of Alien abduction:

Some people believed sleep-walking to be an involuntary and unconscious movement from one place to another during alien abduction.

COMMON FEATURES

1. Eyes remain wide open and staring straight ahead.
2. Before walking the person often sits up in the bed to remain awake and occasionally gets up and walks immediately.
3. Sleep-walkers take no notice of their surroundings. Consciousness of being wide awake is not at all present.
4. Movements are stiff and awkward.
5. Difficult to wake up while in the middle of sleep-walking.
6. Once he or she is awake, the person often is confused and has little recall of the event.
7. Sleep-walking may suddenly end in inappropriate places or the person may return to bed and continue sleeping.
8. Sleep-walking episodes usually occur within 1-2 hours of falling asleep.
9. Span of sleep-walking usually ranges from few seconds to 30 minutes.

Common myths about sleep-walking:

1. Occurs when you are dreaming
2. Waking them up in middle can turn them violent
3. Somnabulists don’t injure themselves when sleep-walking

MOTOR ABILITIES IN SLEEP-WALKING

Sleep-walkers often develop astonishing motor abilities that can more readily be explained by the abnormal waking state than by the sleeping state. They are able to find their way through pieces of furniture placed close to each other, they can walk on op of narrow walls, and even climb around rooftops. Many a sleep-walker has in fact even leaped out of a window and awakened only upon landing on the street with a broken leg.

Some true stories of sleep-walking revealing such astonishing motor abilities that gained publicity:

1. A 15 year old girl from London had climbed the crane and walked across narrow beam, 130 feet above in the air.
2. A day nurse named “Lee Hadwin” is a “sleep artist” who sketches brilliantly in his sleep.
3. A middle-aged woman in Australia had sexual intercourse with strangers in sleep and she didn’t recollect the memory when awake in the following morning (Treated successfully in 2004).
4. A Toronto-man “Kenneth Park” drove about 23 km and murdered his mother in law in sleep in 1987.
5. A nurse got arrested in 2003 when she got drunk and drove and peed in the road but in sleep.
6. A chef named “Robert Wood” walks to kitchen and cooks in sleep.
7. A 51 year old electrician named “Timothy Brueggeman” died of hypothermia as he sleep-walked out of his home only in underwear and fleece shirt.
8. A girl named “Anna Ryan” gained 60 pounds due to habit of sleep-eating.
9. A girl named “Rachel Ward” in 2009, leaped out of window of the first floor and landed on the floor in sleep without breaking a single bone.
10. A woman was reported in 2008 to be sending emails in sleep and even inviting a friend for dinner and drinks.
11. A computer expert named “Ian” mowed the lawn naked at night during sleep.

In all of these cases, the sleep-walker was unable to remember anything about their nocturnal activities. Many of these cases prove that somnabulism is of medicolegal importance.

Prevalence:

• Around 17% of children and 4% adults
• More frequently seen in boys
• Rare in old age

Risk factors:

• Sleep deprivation and Obstructive sleep apnea
• Sleeping pills like Ambien especially when taken with alcohol
• History of confusional arousals in children
• Adults awakened for a brief period of time from sleep but unable to recollect anything in the morning have higher tendency to sleep-walk.
• History of sleep-walking in family.
• Other parasomnias like night terrors and bed wetting.
• Adverse effects of neuro-medications like chlorpromazine, lithium, etc.
• Disorders like schizophrenia, anxiety, parkinsonism, alzheimer’s disease, etc.
• Travel or unfamiliar surroundings
• Stress
• High fever, Migraine headaches
• Head injuries or stroke

Possible harmful effects:

Being in a sleepwalking state in itself doesn’t harm but the danger lies in the possible activities during the episode:

1. Injury to self or others
2. Disruption of other’s sleep

Precautions, Prevention and Treatment:

Precautions:

1. Not to permit persons inclined toward sleep-walking to sleep alone without being watched over.
2. Locate sleep-walker’s bedroom on the main floor and lock the windows.
3. Keep the floor clear of sharps and other harmful objects.

Prevention:

1. Setting a regular sleep schedule
2. Reducing stress
3. Minimizing sleep disturbing factors like noise as they can trigger episode
4. Avoiding drugs and their combination with alcohol

Treatment:

1. Treatment is not necessary except when the sleep-walkers have tendency to harm themselves or others.
2. Diagnosing underlying cause like seizures, stress, anxiety, etc. and treat them
3. Using antidepressants or benzodiazepine sleeping pills to limit episodes and promote sleep

References:

• “Speaking of Sleeping Problems” by Dietrich Langen, M.D.
• American Academy of Sleep Medicine
• Sleepwalking Serendip’s Exchange

“It was the seatbelt that actually came across my chest and severed my arm.” – Rick Allen

6 years after joining the band, a dreadful car accident on the New year’s eve of 1984, took away his left arm. Doctors initially reattached the arm but were forced to remove later as the infection set in. Amazingly, 2 years later the band released their 4th album “Hysteria” with Rick still on drums. His courage and determination refused to let this tragedy ruin his career and eventually led to the custom-built drum kit that he still plays today. Now, Rick’s left foot does the job that his left arm used to by utilizing a series of pedals.

The thought of being no more able to play the drums initially set in as hopelessness which he later turned to a motivation because he didn’t accept to be called “Ex-drummer” of Def Leppard. His disability doesn’t hinder his ability to play drums. He runs several side projects and charity works and it was with a single arm he earned him the respect of “Thunder God”.

Rick should not only be an inspiration to thousands of drummers of this generation but also to the people living with disability. Disability is no barrier for the things you love to do.

1. Uncontrolled and disorganized multiplication of cells leading to formation of lumps and masses
2. Detach from tumor and spread to other sites like lungs, liver, brains, etc. via blood or lymphatic route (metastasis)

Cells affected by cancer are called malignant cells and cancer itself is termed ‘Malignancy’ medically. In contrast to malignant tumors (cancers), benign tumors are encpasulated and stay at one place. The survival of patient depends upon how quickly the cancer is growing and time of diagnosis as well as the type of cancer and treatment available for the type. If a tumor is found before metastasis has occurred, the chances of a cure are greatly increased.

Types of Cancer

1. Sarcomas: cancers of the connective tissue, muscle, bone and lymph
2. Myelomas: cancers of the plasma cells in the bones
3. Leukemias: cancers that begin in the bone marrow, spleen and lymph nodes
4. Carcinomas: cancers beginning in tissues lining organs or tissues
5. Lymphomas: cancers within the lymph system

Although cancer can occur in any organ, it is common in urinary bladder, intestine, uterus, skin, breast, liver , gallbladder, stomach, vocal cords and blood. The leading cancers are:

• Males: Prostate cancer, Lung cancer
• Females: Breast cancer, Lung cancer
• Children: Blood cancer (Leukemia), Brain tumors

Development of Cancer

Although not exactly known, one theory says that cancer development occurs in 2 steps:

1. Initiation (Gene mutation altering cell reproduction)
2. Promotion (Uncontrolled growth after initiation)

Initiators include mutagens like viruses (HSV, HPV), excessive radiation, tobacco products, nutritional deficiency, certain chemicals and heavy metals, hormones, etc.

Some of the common promoters are heavy metal, low dietary fiber, immune system suppresors, diet rich in saturated fats and cholesterols, etc.

Warning Signs

1. C hange in bowel or bladder habits
2. A sore that does not heal
3. U nusual bleeding or discharge
4. T hickening or lump in breast or elsewhere
5. I ndigestion or difficulty in swallowing
6. O bvious change in wart or mole
7. N agging cough or hoarseness

Cancer Treatment

Surgery

Tumors can be surgically removed, but the risk of metastasis and malignancy persists. When a growth is malignant, surgery is often preceded or followed by radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy.

Radiation therapy

Radiation destroys the more rapidly dividing cancer cells but causes less damage to the more slowly dividing normal cells. The use of radioactive protons is preferred over X ray because proton beams can be aimed directly at the tumor, like an automatic rifle hitting the bull’s-eye of a target.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill the more actively growing cancer cells.

Immunotherapy and Gene therapy

Immunotherapy and gene therapy are new, experimental ways of treating cancer. Immunotherapy is the use of an immune system component to treat a disease. For example, cancer patients are sometimes given cytotoxins, chemicals released by lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. Gene therapy is the substitution of “good genes” for defective or missing genes in order to treat a disease.

Cancer Prevnetion

1. Avoiding excessive sunlight reduces the risk of skin cancer
2. Abstaining from smoking cigarettes and cigars reduces the risk of lung cancer, as well as other types of cancer.
3. Exercise and a healthy diet:

• Lowering the total fat intake
• Eating more high-fiber foods
• Increasing consumption of foods rich in vitamins A and C
• Reducing consumption of salt-cured and smoked foods
• Including vegetables of the cabbage family in the diet
• Consuming moderate amounts of alcohol