Poor sleep patterns in humans negatively affect more than 700 genes, damaging the body’s biochemistry and causing ill health, according to researchers from the University of Surrey.
Professor Colin Smith and his team compared the blood of people who regularly had 10 or more hours sleep with the blood of those having 6 or less. Genes might be more or less active and produce more or less proteins and messages.
The whole natural body clock and Circadian rhythm was dulled by sleep deprivation.
Previous studies have shown how sleep deprivation (in long haul air hostesses, or night shift workers, for example), led to loss of
melatonin production which in turn led to more breast cancer and prostate cancer. This effect is worsened by damage to the microbiome’s gut bacteria, because some of them make their own melatonin too. EMFs can damage this, resulting in increased stress levels.
Others use tryptophan to make serotonin and this is converted to melatonin by the action of Near Infra Red sunlight (NIR), enabling the cell to use melatonin to neutralise Reactive Oxygen Species and Free Radicals. Melatonin inside the cell is 10 times more powerful than vitamin C.
Melatonin is known to be the biggest antioxidant we animals make and it is very, very anti-inflammatory. Being outdoors for 3 hours a day, consuming more tryptophan (nuts and seeds, turkey meat, chicken and tofu), having a strong microbiome - all these things help generate more melatonin. Exercising outdoors and gardening have been shown to increase NIR melatonin production.
But EMFs, long haul travel and blue light (from computers and mobile phones) all damage melatonin production.
This UK study (1) showed there were multiple effects linked to the loss of melatonin. The key findings noted increased stress and inflammation, and a reduced immune response.
Smith told the BBC, "There was quite a dramatic change in activity in many different kinds of genes. Areas such as the immune system and how the body responds to damage and stress were affected. Clearly sleep is critical to rebuilding the body and maintaining a functional state, all kinds of damage appear to occur - hinting at what may lead to ill health. If we can’t actually replenish and replace new cells, then that’s going to lead to degenerative diseases."
The University of Surrey now has a specialised 'Surrey Sleep Research Centre' (2).
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