I’m a postdoc and sometimes have the misfortune of having to work deep into the night to get my job done. I’ve always wondered how cool it would be to not get sleepy or hungry, and just keep going. Is there anything I could do doing what I want to be doing?
Well, Gene Block had a nice tidbit in the Wall Street Journal:
Research is beginning to show how we can regulate the various internal clocks that make up the circadian system. In addition, the advent of inexpensive wrist and pocket monitors that can monitor activity and inactivity may eventually allow individuals to “self-medicate” by optimizing their exposure to light and minimizing sleep disruption while they work and travel.
While alot of people get along fine by consuming caffeine, as a coffee non-drinker I can attest to having used light to “self-medicate.” When it’s late at night, and I want to keep working, I prefer to use full spectrum light bulbs (as opposed to the soft white variety). Amazon ships a bright compact fluorescent lightbulb (5000K, 100W equivalent) that definiitely keeps me awake. Unless I’m sleep deprived over several weeks, the light effect on me is sufficient to keep me active 3-5 hours past my typical sleeping time.
Conversely, when I’m sleepy, I try to minimize the potential for having bright light come into my room. The best method I’ve seen is to use blackout curtains which are also easily available on Amazon. In this case, I can have a nice deep sleep for many more hours past my typical awakening time.
