Ode to Jet Lag

Monday morning in Rome, Anne and I woke up at 6:30am to catch the train from Termini station to the airport. We arrived at the airport a little before 9 and my flight was scheduled to leave at 11:20. I boarded the plane around 10:30 and the plane did not take off until around 3:45pm, due to some “technical difficulties.” I landed in Washington D.C. at 7:30pm (1:30am Italy time) and waited until 10pm for my connecting flight. I finally arrived in Rochester at midnight, and arrived at my house at 12:30am (6:30am Italy time), exactly 24 hours after I had woken up in Rome. Within that 24 hour period I took 3 naps; each lasted no more than an hour. I did not actually go to sleep until almost 2am, and somehow I woke up at 4:30am. My body was completely still on Italy time, so waking up at 10:30am Italy time was apparently enough of a sleep in, despite my lack of sleep over the previous 28 hours. This got me thinking – why do I need sleep in the first place? What exactly is sleep and why couldn’t I manage to fall back asleep even though I was so tired?
The reasons for sleep are still not well understood, though sleep is always being studied. What is definite about sleep is that it gives the body time to recharge its batteries by repairing muscles and replacing dead cells. Sleep also gives the brain time to organize memories – it is believed that dreams play a role in this. A lack of sleep compromises the immune system and the ability to think clearly. Certain chemicals released in the brain are associated with sleep. Growth hormone is released in children while they sleep, and the levels of the neurohormone orexin vary greatly from sleeping to wakened periods. The level of melatonin in the body is also raised during the sleeping period.
A study done on cats showed that the levels of adenosine are directly related to sleep. Adenosine is the nucleoside that forms the core of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the molecule that powers most of the biochemical reactions inside cells. According to the study, adenosine levels build up during waking hours and decline during sleep periods. This research suggests that the body’s regular need for sleep comes from the brain’s need to replenish low stores of energy. When an animal’s energy levels in the brain get low, levels may be restored through sleep. Rising concentrations of adenosine may be how the brain recognizes that it is running low on energy and needs to recharge. When researchers deprived cats of sleep for 6 hours, their adenosine levels were double what they had been after being awake for 2 hours. When they were finally allowed to sleep for 3 hours, the adenosine levels slowly declined. This must be why I woke up at 4:30am yesterday, despite my sleep deprivation over the previous day. My guess is that my short naps were long enough to lower adenosine levels in my brain to the point where my body’s normal sleep schedule was more important to my sleep patterns than my utter exhaustion. Oh well, luckily I have plenty of time to catch up on sleep in the next few days.
Like many of the other students did, I also would like to thank everyone for a phenomenal 5 weeks. All the amazing activities and great friendships I made definitely place this summer in my top 5. For anyone who doesn’t realize, that means this summer is rivaling with summers spent at *gasp* Jew camp! Now you all know I’m serious when I say grazie mille for making this summer unforgettable. You all rock :)

References:
http://health.howstuffworks.com/sleep.htm

http://www.sciencenews.org/sn_arc97/5_24_97/fob2.htm

http://www.chemistrydaily.com/chemistry/Sleep