Circadian health expert and medical scientist Logan Pendergrast, Ph.D., explains how disrupted sleep patterns and chemical imbalances affect brain function. He describes how suppressed melatonin from artificial light, elevated cortisol near bedtime, and shifts in neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, and orexin can disturb the body’s natural rhythm. These imbalances not only interfere with deep sleep but also impact mood, motivation, and alertness.
Dr. Pendergrast also highlights the long-term consequences of desynchronized sleep, including reduced reaction time, impaired memory consolidation, and heightened emotional responses driven by hyperactivity in the amygdala. These changes underline how essential it is to maintain synchronized sleep patterns for brain health and overall wellbeing. Simple strategies, such as light physical activity upon waking, can help restore balance and improve resilience against the negative effects of shift work and irregular schedules.
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Okay, so let's move into our final
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factor which is obvious and that is our
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sleep surface. So our mattress, our
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pillows and even our sheets. So quite a
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bit of data has been gathered on this
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and what is found is that the firmness
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of the mattress can determine the
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alignment of our spine as we sleep and
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then also the quality of our shortwave
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sleep. And what the studies show is that
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medium firm mattresses are most
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effective for managing our body's spinal
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alignment and reducing back pain which
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improves our sleep quality. And
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additionally, mattresses that are too
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soft that allow our body to sink too
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deeply into them or mattresses that are
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too firm that resist our body sinking
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into them are considered to be a bit too
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extreme on either end and can impair our
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ability to sleep. So, it's likely the
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case that more moderately firm
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mattresses are the most effective. And
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as a final tip here, because mattresses
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are composed of foam and springs and
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hard materials, these materials can
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break down over years of having body
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slept on them. And so, it's most
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recommended to purchase a new mattress
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about every 7 to 10 years so that the
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mattresses are being utilized at their
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most effective form.
