February 24, 2010: Idea/Research Post

Ever since I was little I have resisted sleep. I kicked and screamed my way up to my bedroom and whimpered myself into a calm, until I was sure the coast was clear to leap out of the bed and tiptoe silently down the stairs to join the party in the other room. Behind my family room was a sitting room where I lurked in the shadows watching shows like The Late Show with David Letterman and Quantum Leap (starring Scott Bakula) without my parents ever noticing my presence. As soon as I heard the loud clap of the television turning off, I bolted up the stairs to avoid being caught. I moved so swiftly and silently that I my secret was NEVER revealed. These stories are my memories of bedtime that seem to have morphed into slightly different ones as I have gotten older. But the fact still remains that even as a grown up I absolutely despise going to sleep. I would much rather stay up all night and sleep all day than sacrifice my love for getting things done at such a late hour. Sometimes, I try to go to sleep at a "reasonable" hour, but almost immediately revert back to my old ways. The second wind that I receive at 11pm every night is like a drug that keeps me coming back each evening at the same time for more...

This is my artist statement I submitted for our books:
"I was born of the "eveningness" chronotype. A child grown into adulthood who continues to protest bedtime and vehemently fight my tiredness and impending sleep..."

I found this article about being a night owl and though it was interesting:

Do you have the night owl gene?

A genetic mutation called the "after-hours gene" may explain why some people are night owls, it is revealed in Science journal today.

It could also hold clues for pharmacologists working to develop drugs to help people adjust to shift work or jet lag. There are further implications for the study of causes of some psychiatric disorders.

The altered gene, named "after hours" or Afh, is a variant of a gene called Fbxl3, which had not been linked to the body clock that keeps our metabolism, digestion and sleep patterns in tune with the rising and setting of the sun.

The discovery involved scientists from the Medical Research Council Mammalian Genetics Unit, Oxfordshire, the MRC Laboratory for Molecular Biology, Cambridge, and colleagues based at New York University.

Pharmaceutical companies are already beginning to study this class of proteins as potential drug targets.

By monitoring when and how often the mice chose to run on an exercise wheel the team spotted a change in some of the animals’ normal rhythms.

Instead of following the typical 24 hour pattern, some of the mice had body clocks that stretched to up to a 27 hour day.

Closer study of the DNA from the mice then revealed that those on a 27-hour-cycle had the after hours version of the Fbxl3 gene, one of a large family that controls the breakdown of specific proteins within body cells.

Dr Patrick Nolan, of the MRC Mammalian Genetics Unit, who led the study said: ‘‘The internal body clocks of mice with the after hours gene run on a longer cycle than mice that have a normal copy of the gene, who like most of us live on a 24 hour schedule.’’

The “cogs” of the body clock consist of interlocked cycles of proteins that wax and wane in cells. One of the key components of this loop is a protein called Cry.

“We found that mice that carried the after hours gene also had a delayed Cry protein breakdown rate, leading to a slowdown in the molecular feedback loops and a lengthening of the body clock cycle.’’

In other research, scientists have identified a part of the brain that affects how we deal with seasonal change.

The research will help our understanding of the causes and consequences of seasonal affective disorder and could also shed light on why we crave more food in winter.

Dr Gerald Lincoln, of Edinburgh University's Centre for Reproductive Biology, said: "Surprisingly, the circannual body clock works on a 10-month cycle.

"We reset our body calendar every summer, when increased light inhibits the production of melatonin. This could explain why sunshine makes us feel happier."