Sleep: It's the Only Thing That There's Just Too Little Of

Maybe you're not familiar with this Jackie DeShannon song, but during finals week on a college campus I think sleep is something we could all use a little bit more of.

Since sleep is an issue that has plagued me for my entire life, it's a subject I am always interested in. So, now seems like the perfect time to write about a series of guest columns about sleep and our natural circadian rhythms by Leon Kreitzman on the New York Times' Wild Side blog.

The first, "Larks, Owls and Hummingbirds" (April 21, 2009), explains that 70-80% of us are 'hummingbirds' and are easily able to reset their internal clocks, but the remaining early-rising 'larks' and late-to-bed 'owls' have difficulty doing so. This article could make an excellent starting point for your research, as it includes references to numerous studies on the subject, as well as recommended books and articles.

The second article, "Let's Hear It For the Bees" (April 28, 2009), discusses honey bees' sophisticated circadian "clockwork" that allows them to keep track of the time of the day different flowers open, but also the time of the season each flower blooms. You can read more about the honey bee elsewhere on this blog.

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