When should I sleep?

Our levels of alertness and attention are influenced by our circadian rhythms, as shown in the figure below. Circadian rhythms allow us to feel more alert during the day and less alert during the evening. This is the primary reason it is difficult to stay awake at night and why we may struggle to sleep…

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Optimising sleep for night shift

In a 2018 article in the British Medical Journal (BMJ 2018;360:j5637 doi: 10.1136/bmj.j5637 [Published 1 March 2018]) the topic of optimsing sleep for night shift was covered with the aim……

How does alcohol affect sleep

Alcohol is a depressant that slows the nervous system down. It impacts on the quality of the naturally occurring sleep cycles, and can increase sleep disturbance. Some people will say,……

Who is responsible for your fatigue?

Fatigue affects everyone, at some time or another!…making US ALL responsible! When someone is fatigued, who is the first person to experience the effects? That’s right…you are! You will experience……

Hydration

Your body needs adequate fluid and electrolytes in order to have any chance of feeling energised. If these needs are not met, then physical and mental fatigue will increase, as……

Building fatigue resilient workplaces

Imagine being able to do everything in your working and personal life without thinking: “I don’t have the energy to do this”? The good news is that you can take……

The impacts on circadian rhythm and melatonin production in visually impaired people

Light is captured through photoreceptors in the eyes which transmit this to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), or internal body clock, via a dedicated neural pathway. Each day the light-dark cycle……

What can you do to manage fatigue?

Taking action against fatigue happens in two forms: 1) the action you take when you experience fatigue; and 2) the action you take to prevent fatigue and therefore become more……

Should burning fat kilojoules be my goal?

NO – burning energy whatever its source should be the major goal of exercise when trying to lose body fat. The reason is that 37,000 kilojoules of energy equals one……

Food quality and quantity

The quality and quantity of food you choose can make a huge difference to body weight. The difference between the two diets on the right is 5700kJ. Someone that eats……

Is it possible to have too much sleep each night?

It is still largely unknown how many exact hours of sleep per day are needed in adults, according to their age, their environmental and socio-cultural characteristics. It is generally cited……