![]() ![]() and stay pretty busy with performing measurements until the evening. On those days, I usually get to the lab at 7 a.m. I not only work night shifts, but am sometimes awake for more than 24 hours continuously. I study human metabolism around the clock, which requires taking blood draws and muscle biopsies at regular intervals over 24 hours. PhD candidate in nutrition and movement at Maastricht University in the Netherlands. JAN-FRIEDER HARMSEN: Taking measurements 24/7 I will always wonder whether I would have remained healthy and productive if only I had done more to ensure that I received adequate sleep on a regular basis. Having to do so reminds me so much of the days when insomnia affected my career. As a result, I have found it necessary to cut back on my volunteering and philanthropic activities. Last year, I contracted COVID-19 and influenza simultaneously on Thanksgiving Day, which brought on another onslaught of negative impacts, not the least of which has been increased insomnia. I am convinced that countless nights of little to no sleep strongly contributed to this outcome. Ultimately, I was diagnosed with a number of long-term health conditions and had no choice but to retire early (on grounds of disability). I think that my insomnia initially emerged out of ‘necessity’: it was impossible to fulfil all my professional roles and be present for my family unless I reserved my writing and research for late hours, when everyone else slept. At the time, my husband and I were also focusing on raising our two children. Once I obtained my doctorate, I continued in these roles and began teaching doctoral courses in educational administration at Oklahoma State University. I held a full-time job as the assistant superintendent of a school in Oklahoma City and served as board chair of an accreditation organization called AdvancED. I first experienced insomnia in the period before I obtained my doctoral degree. Retired educational administrator and professor at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. Credit: Lisa McLaughlin LISA MCLAUGHLIN: Lack of sleep had long-term effects Multi-tasker: Lisa McClaughlin says her insomnia was a necessity. It was very difficult for me to plan and execute experiments.īut now that my kid is sleeping mostly through the night and I don’t nurse any more, I get much more sleep, and things have changed for the better. I resumed working in the laboratory three months after the baby was born, and could barely get anything done: I wasn’t thinking straight, or thinking at all really. Molecular biology PhD student at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.Īs the mother of a one-year-old, I can say that being on very little sleep greatly affected my ability to function and my efficiency. There is neurodiversity in circadian rhythm and attention, and for me and my fellow late-night ladies, being given the respect and support to work in the way that was best for us helped us to thrive. Working at night was, and is, an empowered choice that has allowed me to focus fully on my research and writing, and it has helped me to achieve my goals. Having people around can be too much of a distraction for me. The reason I worked overnight then, and probably will do so again in future, is that I was conducting sensitive and labour-intensive experiments, and needed to focus. How better sleep can improve productivity I had an overnight kit in the lab with deodorant, dry shampoo, refreshing wipes and mascara. ![]() For me, full overnights happened on rare occasions and involved either sleeping in the medical students’ nap room in a sleeping bag, or in my car, because I lived too far away to drive home and back for just a couple of hours’ rest. or later - we called ourselves the late-night ladies. There were three of us who were often in the lab until 10 p.m. I haven’t pulled an all-nighter yet as a postdoc, but I did so, more than a few times, when I was a PhD student. Postdoctoral researcher in neuroscience at Stanford University in California. WENDY WENDERSKI: Working at night helped me to thrive Nature asked readers to share their stories of sleep deprivation. ![]() Sleep quality and duration have dropped markedly in the past 50 years, owing to a variety of factors still being investigated by sleep scientists. Nocturnal worker: Wendy Wenderski called herself a late-night lady during her PhD. ![]()
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