Latest news with #AnnieCurtis
RTÉ News
07-08-2025
- Health
- RTÉ News
Can early morning natural light improve your sleep that night?
Researchers have found that exposure to natural light up anytime up to noon has a positive effect on your sleep patterns A new study has found that exposing yourself to natural light early in the morning may improve sleep quality later that night. Prof Annie Curtis is a circadian biologist at the Royal College of Surgeons and a Research Ireland awardee and she joined the Drivetime team on RTÉ Radio 1 to discuss the results. (This piece includes excerpts from the conversation which have been edited for length and clarity - you can hear the discussion in full below). Curtis explained that the authors of the report were trying to understand the link between your daylight exposure to sunlight and your sleep. "We know that sleep is really important for pretty much every type of health we have and we are not getting enough sleep. A third of us are getting less than six hours of sleep, and then many of us as well are just not getting sufficient sleep, so we're not feeling rested. From RTÉ Radio 1's Drivetime, Prof Annie Curtis discusses new research on early morning light and sleep (from 2:09) "What they did was looked at 100 adults for 70 days and asked these individuals to report when they were exposed to natural light and what type of sleep they had that evening. Basically, they were asked to say whether they had the outdoor light exposure in the morning, middle of the day or the evening. "What's really interesting is it's the actual timing of the light. It's morning light so light anywhere up until about midday is actually more important than how long you're out in the daylight. It showed it was better for sleep, a thing called sleep latency, which is basically long it takes to fall asleep." This will come as a bit of surprise to many, says Curtis. "A lot of us would've thought that two hours maybe in the afternoon is better than maybe 30 minutes in the morning, but that's not the case. It's all down to our body clocks really, because our body clocks know what time of day it is. They really want to get that morning light and make all the changes in the body to ensure that we get good quality sleep that night." We're almost like a different species from morning to evening because of our body clock The research also shows that our body can differentiate between different kinds of light. "We get this beautiful kind of orange light in the evenings in Ireland so the spectrum and wavelengths are different in the evening than they are in the morning. "That spectrum of light is different in the morning, but our bodies are also different in the morning. We're almost like a different species from morning to evening because of our body clock. Our body clock is actually changing the proteins that are there in the morning versus the evening and in the morning. That's when it really wants to see that light and make the changes that it does in our body."
The Independent
28-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Just three sleepless nights could be enough to strain your heart
Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. Annie Curtis Wednesday 28 May 2025 11:19 BST Scientists pinpoint how many hours sleep will increase your risk of heart disease A new study from Uppsala University in Sweden reveals that just three nights of restricted sleep (around four hours) can trigger changes in the blood that are linked to a higher risk of heart disease. Researchers found that sleep deprivation caused a rise in inflammatory markers in the blood, which can damage blood vessels and raise the risk of heart failure, coronary heart disease, and irregular heartbeat. The study involved 16 healthy young men who underwent periods of normal sleep (8.5 hours) and sleep restriction (4.25 hours) in a controlled lab setting. Exercise-induced boosts in healthy proteins like interleukin-6 and BDNF were weaker after poor sleep, indicating that sleep deprivation can diminish the cardiovascular benefits of physical activity. The study showed that even short-term sleep deprivation can have significant negative impacts on cardiovascular health. In full
NDTV
23-05-2025
- Health
- NDTV
3 Nights Of Poor Sleep Might Harm Your Heart: Study
Dublin: We've long known that a lack of sleep is bad for the heart - but scientists are now starting to understand exactly how it causes harm. In a new study from Uppsala University in Sweden, researchers found that just three nights of restricted sleep - around four hours a night - triggered changes in the blood linked to a higher risk of heart disease. The researchers looked at inflammatory proteins in the blood. These are molecules the body produces when it is under stress or fighting off illness. When these proteins stay high for a long time, they can damage blood vessels and raise the risk of problems like heart failure, coronary heart disease and atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat). The study involved 16 healthy young men who spent several days in a lab, where everything from their meals to their activity levels and light exposure was carefully controlled. The participants followed two routines: three nights of normal sleep (8.5 hours) and three night of sleep restriction (4.25 hours). After each sleep phase, the men completed a short, high-intensity cycling workout, and their blood was tested before and after. Researchers measured almost 90 different proteins in the blood samples. They found that sleep deprivation caused a clear rise in inflammatory markers linked to heart disease. And while exercise usually boosts healthy proteins such as interleukin-6 and BDNF (which support brain and heart health), these responses were weaker after poor sleep. Even young adults Strikingly, That's worrying given how common it is for adults to experience poor sleep from time to time - and around one in four people work shifts that disrupt sleep patterns. The researchers also discovered that the time of day blood was taken mattered: protein levels varied between morning and evening, and even more so when sleep was restricted. This suggests that sleep affects not only what's in your blood, but when those changes are most visible. Although modern life often encourages us to trade sleep for productivity, socialising or screen time, studies like this remind us that the body keeps score - quietly, chemically and without compromise. (Disclosure statement: Annie Curtis does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.)
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Just three nights of poor sleep might harm your heart
We've long known that a lack of sleep is bad for the heart – but scientists are now starting to understand exactly how it causes harm. In a new study from Uppsala University in Sweden, researchers found that just three nights of restricted sleep – around four hours a night – triggered changes in the blood linked to a higher risk of heart disease. The researchers looked at inflammatory proteins in the blood. These are molecules the body produces when it is under stress or fighting off illness. When these proteins stay high for a long time, they can damage blood vessels and raise the risk of problems like heart failure, coronary heart disease and atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat). The study involved 16 healthy young men who spent several days in a lab, where everything from their meals to their activity levels and light exposure was carefully controlled. Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK's latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences. The participants followed two routines: three nights of normal sleep (8.5 hours) and three night of sleep restriction (4.25 hours). After each sleep phase, the men completed a short, high-intensity cycling workout, and their blood was tested before and after. Researchers measured almost 90 different proteins in the blood samples. They found that sleep deprivation caused a clear rise in inflammatory markers linked to heart disease. And while exercise usually boosts healthy proteins such as interleukin-6 and BDNF (which support brain and heart health), these responses were weaker after poor sleep. Strikingly, the changes happened even in young, healthy adults, and after only a few nights of bad sleep. That's worrying given how common it is for adults to experience poor sleep from time to time – and around one in four people work shifts that disrupt sleep patterns. The researchers also discovered that the time of day blood was taken mattered: protein levels varied between morning and evening, and even more so when sleep was restricted. This suggests that sleep affects not only what's in your blood, but when those changes are most visible. Although modern life often encourages us to trade sleep for productivity, socialising or screen time, studies like this remind us that the body keeps score – quietly, chemically and without compromise. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Annie Curtis does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
RTÉ News
21-05-2025
- Health
- RTÉ News
Is it better to shower in the morning or at night?
Analysis: Here's what a microbiologist has to say about the standoff between morning shower enthusiasts and night shower loyalists It's a question that's long been the cause of debate: is it better to shower in the morning or at night? Morning shower enthusiasts will say this is the obvious winner, as it helps you wake up and start the day fresh. Night shower loyalists, on the other hand, will argue it's better to "wash the day away" and relax before bed. But what does the research actually say? As a microbiologist, I can tell you there actually is a clear answer to this question. First off, it's important to stress that showering is an integral part of any good hygiene routine — regardless of when you prefer to have one. Showering helps us remove dirt and oil from our skin, which can help prevent skin rashes and infections. Showering also removes sweat, which can quell body odour. From RTÉ Radio 1's Drivetime,Immunologist Prof Annie Curtis and microbiologist Dr Primrose Freestone on the science of when to take your shower (discussion beguins at 1.25.20) Although many of us think that body odour is caused by sweat, it's actually produced by bacteria that live on the surface of our skin. Fresh sweat is, in fact, odourless. But skin-dwelling bacteria – specifically staphylococci – use sweat as a direct nutrient source. When they break down the sweat, it releases a sulphur-containing compound called thioalcohols which is behind that pungent BO stench many of us are familiar with. Day or night? During the day, your body and hair inevitably collect pollutants and allergens (such as dust and pollen) alongside their usual accumulation of sweat and sebaceous oil. While some of these particles will be retained by your clothes, others will inevitably be transferred to your sheets and pillow cases. The sweat and oil from you skin will also support the growth of the bacteria that comprise your skin microbiome. These bacteria may then also be transferred from your body onto your sheets. Showering at night may remove some of the allergens, sweat and oil picked up during the day so less ends up on your bedsheets. From RTÉ Radio 1's Brendan O'Connor, are you ready for the two minute shower? But even if you've freshly showered before bed, you will still sweat during the night – whatever the temperature is. Your skin microbes will then eat the nutrients in that sweat. This means that by the morning, you'll have both deposited microbes onto your bed sheets and you'll probably also wake up with some BO. What particularly negates the cleaning benefits of a night shower is if your bedding is not regularly laundered. The odour causing microbes present in your bed sheets may be transferred while you sleep onto your clean body. Showering at night also does not stop your skin cells being shed. This means they can potentially become the food source of house dust mites, whose waste can be allergenic. If you don't regularly wash your sheets, this could lead to a build-up of dead skin cell deposits which will feed more dust mites. The droppings from these dust mites can trigger allergies and exacerbate asthma. From RTÉ Radio 1's Liveline, listeners discuss how often they take a shower and wash their clothes Morning showers, on the other hand, can help remove dead skin cells as well as any sweat or bacteria you've picked up from your bed sheets during the night. This is especially important to do if your sheets weren't freshly washed when you went to bed. A morning shower suggests your body will be cleaner of night-acquired skin microbes when putting on fresh clothes. You'll also start the day with less sweat for odour-producing bacteria to feed on – which will probably help you smell fresher for longer during the day compared to someone who showered at night. As a microbiologist, I am a day shower advocate. Of course, everyone has their own shower preference. Whatever time you choose, remember that the effectiveness of your shower is influenced by many aspects of your personal hygiene regime – such as how frequently you wash your bed sheets. As a microbiologist, I am a day shower advocate So regardless of whether your prefer a morning or evening shower, it's important to clean your bed linen regularly. You should launder your sheets and pillow cases at least weekly to remove all the sweat, bacteria, dead skin cells and sebaceous oils that have built up on your sheets. Washing will also remove any fungal spores that might be growing on the bed linen – alongside the nutrient sources these odour producing microbes use to grow.
