Have you ever wondered if counting sheep before sleep actually works? How about sleeping naked? Or how much sleep should a teenager get? We got your burning questions answered through an interview with Dr. Rochon, biopsychologist from EngineeringSleep.

Dr. Rochon has a master’s in neuroscience and cognitive science with a doctorate specializing in sleep and different stages of consciousness. Studying both biology and psychology, he became a biopsychologist, finding sleep as the perfect link between these disciplines.

“For me, the link between biology and psychology is represented by sleep. Sleep is the most accurate way to touch biological or psychological problems,” says Dr. Rochon.

1. What is the circadian rhythm and why is it important?

The circadian rhythm is the most important part of sleep that people aren’t familiar with. It is a clock inside of your brain that dictates how your body works. Synchronizing this clock with the outside world is critical. The circadian clock is actually in the middle of your brain, controlling your eyes, absorbing light from the sun as well as managing your habits.

Take the example of social jetlag. Social jetlag is when your circadian rhythm is a little bit later. This is when people wake up later during the weekend, which means they have access to light later, desynchronizing their circadian rhythm. For instance, if you see the light at 10am today, then your body will prepare you to see it at the same time tomorrow, instead of earlier. So this is why you are tired on Mondays since your body follows what you told it to do the day before. Therefore, it is best to stick to the same wake-up schedule every day.  

2. Does sleeping naked help with your sleep?

For some people, I think it’s a good idea, but it depends. Chinese medicine actually talks about it since when people sleep naked they can make their surroundings warmer. But again, it’s about lowering your body temperature and the easiest way to cool down is to take off your clothes. I think it’s more linked with the psychology of habits. So if you like to do it, you should do it.

3. When should an average teenager go to sleep? How much sleep should they get?

Teenagers have a circadian rhythm a little bit later than normal people. That means biologically, they are already pushed to go to bed later and wake up later. Why? This is due to melatonin, which is a hormone that tells you it’s dark outside. Melatonin secretion is common for teenagers, so naturally, teens would go to sleep later. And their late social events add to this phenomenon.

What we need to do as teens is to be sure that we wake up at the same time every day instead of sleeping in. Thus, it’s not about how long we sleep, it’s more about how we sleep and wake up. So even if we don’t get enough sleep, we can recover later through naps.

4. Does counting sheep work?

This idea concerns the psychological aspect. Counting sheep is not a bad idea but it works differently for different people. So, the more you can visualize in your head, it’s easier to fall asleep. Yet if you count the sheep just for the sake of counting, it doesn’t work because you will go into sleep control thinking. This is where one story leads to another and another, making it difficult to sleep. It’s also true that if you can relax your muscles through a breathing technique, it’s easier to sleep.

If you have any additional questions or concerns, get in touch with Dr. Rochon!

Website: engineeringsleep.com

WeChat: sleep-cognition

Images: Unsplash, Canva, Pexels, Dr. Rochon

Researchers are warning that irregular bedtimes may be doing more harm to your toddler’s mental functions and development than meets the eye.

According to a report in The Guardian, scientists at the University College London have stated that the "lack of routine might impair early development by disrupting the body clock, or through sleep deprivation, which affects the brain’s ability to remember and learn new information."

The researchers based their study on test scores of reading, number and spatial relationship skills that were taken from a pool of children who are now in their early teenage years. They found that regardless of how early or late their bedtimes were, those who had set bedtimes during their younger years tended to have higher scores.

More info here and here.