The assault on our sleep really only began in earnest 75 years ago as the world became flooded with light, stimuli, shift work, and birthed the concept of a 24/7 world. Today, we’re wired and tired, overworked and under rested. This is not news to you, but what might be

When we think of high-risk jobs, we often think of underwater welders, fishing boat crew, and oil rig workers. But did you know that all shift work is also high risk? You’re unlikely to have physical risks, but the metabolic, mental health, impaired driving ability, and even cancer risks are sky high. 

Here’s what happens when we don’t sleep: 

• Ghrelin, the hunger hormone goes up
• Blood glucose and metabolic health suffers 
• Cardiovascular risk shoots way up
• Risk of neurodegenerative illness skyrockets 

Links

Russell’s Book

ABOUT RUSSELL FOSTER – Russell Foster is a British professor of circadian neuroscience at Oxford University and the director of the Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute (SCNi). He is known for his discovery of non-rod, non-cone ocular photoreceptors that regulate the body’s internal clock. He has received numerous awards for his research, including the Zoological Society scientific medal and the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire). He is the author of Time Line: Your Body Clock and Its Essential Roles in Good Health and Sleep.