Chronobiologist

Chronobiologist

February 17, 2005

1. What is a Chronobiologist?
1. Chronobiology is the study of inadequate sleep and of sleep loss.

                                          i.    Specifically, Chronobiologists study the biological clock in humans and the disruption of the solidarity of this natural clock.

2. Airline pilots face dangerous hours as they fly their planes through different time zones that are not compatible with their biological clock.

                                          i.    When a pilot is in a time zone which is dramatically different from his, such as living on the east coast and flying to Los Angles, his biological clock gets disrupted causing him to loose sleep.

3. Animals, such as a bear, hibernate during the winter in order to survive.

                                          i.    We believe that bears and other hibernating animals are less affected by changes in their surroundings and are under what we call a free-running cycle because they have control of their biological clock.

2.  Biological Clocks
1. Biological clocks greatly affect how the body functions.

                                          i.    It controls the body and regulates many of the different bodily functions.

2. Free-Running cycles are when a biological clock ignore the surrounding environment to protect the body.
3. Entrainment is when a person programs their biological clock to fit their schedule, so they sleep when they need to sleep. 

                                          i.    This is most commonly found with parents of new-born children, as the child wakes up in the night and a parent must tend to the child.

3. Circadian Rhythm
1. A circadian rhythm consists of a high and low point for humans within a 24 hour cycle.

                                          i.    Most low points occur in the early morning while you are asleep, therefore if you have ever awoken at night, even during the hottest days, you feel cold.

                                         ii.    This can also be proven in plants that open and close throughout the day, some believe they do this to receive sunlight, however if the plant is put in darkness it still opens and closes because of its circadian rhythm.

4. Recommendation
1. I personally recommend that you keep all employees working during the day and having as small of a third shift as possible.
2. I also recommend ensuring there is adequate time for lunch and that the employee is allowed to leave work everyday at the same time.
3. However, each environment has different scenorios which must be addressed, otherwise employees will start to ignore things such as their circadian rhythm and the quality and quantity of work will decrease.