Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.7
4.2
Journals
Biology
Special Issues
Advance in Sleep and Circadian Rhythms
share announcement

Advance in Sleep and Circadian Rhythms

A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737). This special issue belongs to the section "Medical Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 11139

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Cristina Nicolau

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratori de Neurofisiologia del Son i Ritmes Biològics, Institut d’Investigació Sanitária Illes Balears (IDISBA), Universitat Illes Balears, (UIB), 07122 Palma, Spain
Interests: sleep physiology; sleep disorders; circadian rhythms
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sleep is a pleasing state regulated by circadian and homeostatic mechanisms, and characterized by quiescence, rapid reversibility, specific sleeping sites and body positions, and raised sensory thresholds. Sleep-associated problems can be classified into two main categories: theoretical and sanitary.

In theoretical terms, we ignore how sleep evolved in the animal kingdom as well as many aspects of the circadian regulation of sleep. Likewise, we ignore the brain structures responsible of the homeostatic regulation and, perhaps the most important question we ignore is why we sleep.

Sleep disturbances, which have been referred to as the silent epidemic, constitute a serious health problem. One in six adults in the US were diagnosed with a sleep disorder and one in eight use sleeping aids. Additionally, one in every three fatal traffic accidents is caused by tiredness or drowsiness and three out of every four drivers admit to having driven while drowsy. Sleep involves immense direct and indirect economic costs in the form of lost working time, depression and highly prevalent associated health problems such as neurodegenerative disorders. Sleep and circadian dysregulation could help to identify the risk of suffering from neurodegenerative diseases.

We propose that sleep researchers interested in the theoretical and medical aspects of sleep will be interested in participating in an updated theoretical Special Issue on this subject, including circadian and homeostatic factors as well as the medical and pharmacological aspects of sleep.

Prof. Dr. Cristina Nicolau
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biology is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sleep physiology

  • sleep regulation
  • sleep disorders
  • circadian rhythms
  • circadian dysregulation
  • sleep evolution
  • sleep function

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (5 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

18 pages, 3810 KiB  
Article
Activity–Rest Circadian Rhythm of the Pearly Razorfish in Its Natural Habitat, before and during Its Mating
by Mourad Akaarir, José Manuel Pujol, Margalida Suau, Rubén V. Rial, María Cristina Nicolau, Antoni Gamundi, Martina Martorell-Barceló, Margarida Barceló-Serra, Eneko Aspillaga and Josep Alós
Biology 2023, 12(6), 810; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12060810 - 2 Jun 2023
Viewed by 1318
Abstract
Recent technological advances in marine biotelemetry have demonstrated that marine fish species perform activity–rest rhythms that have relevant ecological and evolutionary consequences. The main objective of the present report is to study the circadian rhythm of activity–rest of the pearly razorfish, Xyrichtys novacula [...] Read more.
Recent technological advances in marine biotelemetry have demonstrated that marine fish species perform activity–rest rhythms that have relevant ecological and evolutionary consequences. The main objective of the present report is to study the circadian rhythm of activity–rest of the pearly razorfish, Xyrichtys novacula in its own habitat, before and during the reproduction season using a novel biotelemetry system. This fish species is a small-bodied marine species that inhabits most shallow soft habitats of temperate areas and has a high interest for commercial and recreational fisheries. The activity of free-living fish was monitored by means of high-resolution acoustic tracking of the motor activity of the fish in one-minute intervals. The obtained data allowed the definition of the circadian rhythm of activity–rest in terms of classical non-parametric values: interdaily stability (IS), intradaily variability (IV), relative amplitude (RA), average activity during the most-active period of consecutive 10 h (M10), and average activity during the least-active period of consecutive 5 h (L5). We observed a well-marked rhythm, with little fragmentation and good synchrony with the environmental cycle of light–darkness, regardless of sex and the period studied. However, the rhythm was found to be slightly more desynchronized and fragmented during reproduction because of variations in the photoperiod. In addition, we found that the activity of the males was much higher than that of the females (p < 0.001), probably due to the peculiar behavior of the males in defending the harems they lead. Finally, the time at which activity began in males was slightly earlier than it was in females (p < 0.001), presumably due to the same fact, as differences in activity or for the individual heterogeneity of this species in the time of awakening are considered to be an independent axis of the fish’s personality. Our work is novel, as it is one of the first studies of activity–rest rhythm using classical circadian-related descriptors in free-living marine fish using locomotory data facilitated by novel technological approaches. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advance in Sleep and Circadian Rhythms)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 2786 KiB  
Article
Phase Response Curve to Light under Ambulatory Conditions: A Pilot Study for Potential Application to Daylight Saving Time Transitions
by Raquel Arguelles-Prieto, Juan Antonio Madrid, Maria Angeles Rol and María Ángeles Bonmatí-Carrión
Biology 2022, 11(11), 1584; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11111584 - 28 Oct 2022
Viewed by 1363
Abstract
Several studies have investigated the relationship between daylight saving time (DST) and sleep alterations, psychiatric disorders, cardiovascular events and traffic accidents. However, very few have monitored participants while maintaining their usual lifestyle before and after DST. Considering that DST transitions modify human behavior [...] Read more.
Several studies have investigated the relationship between daylight saving time (DST) and sleep alterations, psychiatric disorders, cardiovascular events and traffic accidents. However, very few have monitored participants while maintaining their usual lifestyle before and after DST. Considering that DST transitions modify human behavior and, therefore, people’s light exposure patterns, the aim of this study was to investigate the potential effects of DST on circadian variables, considering sleep and, for the first time, the human phase response curve to light. To accomplish this, eight healthy adults (33 ± 11 years old, mean ± SD) were recruited to monitor multivariable circadian markers and light exposure by means of a wearable ambulatory monitoring device: Kronowise®. The following night phase markers were calculated: midpoints of the five consecutive hours of maximum wrist temperature (TM5) and the five consecutive hours of minimum time in movement (TL5), sleep onset and offset, as well as sleep duration and light intensity. TM5 for wrist temperature was set as circadian time 0 h, and the balance between advances and delays considering the phase response curve to light was calculated individually before and after both DST transitions. To assess internal desynchronization, the possible shift in TM5 for wrist temperature and TL5 for time in movement were compared. Our results indicate that the transition to DST seems to force the circadian system to produce a phase advance to adapt to the new time. However, the synchronizing signals provided by natural and personal light exposure are not in line with such an advance, which results in internal desynchronization and the need for longer synchronization times. On the contrary, the transition back to ST, which implies a phase delay, is characterized by a faster adaptation and maintenance of internal synchronization, despite the fact that exposure to natural light would favor a phase advance. Considering the pilot nature of this study, further research is needed with higher sample sizes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advance in Sleep and Circadian Rhythms)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 3212 KiB  
Article
Living at the Wrong Time: Effects of Unmatching Official Time in Portugal and Western Spain
by María-Ángeles Bonmatí-Carrión, Elvira Casado-Ramirez, María-Teresa Moreno-Casbas, Manuel Campos, ModulEN Consortium, Juan Antonio Madrid and Maria-Angeles Rol
Biology 2022, 11(8), 1130; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11081130 - 28 Jul 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2176
Abstract
Human circadian rhythmicity is subjected to the internal circadian clock, the sun and social clocks (official time, social/work schedules). The discrepancy among these clocks, as occurs when official time does not match its geographical time zone, may produce circadian disruption. Western Spain (GMT+1/+2) [...] Read more.
Human circadian rhythmicity is subjected to the internal circadian clock, the sun and social clocks (official time, social/work schedules). The discrepancy among these clocks, as occurs when official time does not match its geographical time zone, may produce circadian disruption. Western Spain (GMT+1/+2) and Portugal (GMT0/+1) share similar longitudes (sun time) but have different official times. This provides a unique opportunity to evaluate the effects of official time on circadian rhythmicity and sleep in elderly and retired populations (with no remunerated duties presumed, although other social commitments may be present) at both locations. Although both populations slept enough for their age (7–8 h), circadian robustness (e.g., interdaily stability, relative amplitude) was greater in Portugal, especially during weekdays, while greater desynchronization (both body temperature vs. motor activity and body temperature vs. light exposure) tended to occur in the Spaniards. Once corrected by GMT0, meals took place later in Spain than in Portugal, especially as the day progresses, and a possible interplay between bed/meal timings and internal desynchronization was found. Our results point to the possible deleterious effect on circadian system robustness when official time is misaligned with its geographical time zone. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advance in Sleep and Circadian Rhythms)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 1905 KiB  
Article
Enhancing Night and Day Circadian Contrast through Sleep Education in Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Randomized Controlled Trial
by Cristina García-Serrano, Jesús Pujol Salud, Lidia Aran-Solé, Joaquim Sol, Sònia Ortiz-Congost, Eva Artigues-Barberà and Marta Ortega-Bravo
Biology 2022, 11(6), 893; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11060893 - 10 Jun 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2298
Abstract
Background: Evidence supports a causal relationship between circadian disturbance and impaired glucose homeostasis. Methods: To determine the effect of an educational intervention delivered by primary care nurses to improve sleep hygiene, a parallel, open-label clinical trial in subjects aged 18 and older with [...] Read more.
Background: Evidence supports a causal relationship between circadian disturbance and impaired glucose homeostasis. Methods: To determine the effect of an educational intervention delivered by primary care nurses to improve sleep hygiene, a parallel, open-label clinical trial in subjects aged 18 and older with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) or type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) was performed. Study variables were sex, age, fasting glucose, glycated haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), sleep duration and efficiency, body mass index, antidiabetic treatment, diet and physical exercise. An individual informative educational intervention was carried out following a bidirectional feedback method. The intervention aimed to develop skills to improve sleep through nine simple tips. An analysis of covariance was performed on all the mean centred outcome variables controlling for the respective baseline scores. Results: In the intervention group, PSQI dropped, the duration and quality of sleep increased, and a decrease in fasting glucose and in HbA1c levels was observed. Conclusion: The proposed intervention is effective for improving sleep quality, length and efficiency, and for decreasing fasting glucose and HbA1c levels in only 3 months. These findings support the importance of sleep and circadian rhythm education focused on improving IFG and T2DM. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advance in Sleep and Circadian Rhythms)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

21 pages, 1778 KiB  
Review
The Birth of the Mammalian Sleep
by Rubén V. Rial, Francesca Canellas, Mourad Akaârir, José A. Rubiño, Pere Barceló, Aida Martín, Antoni Gamundí and M. Cristina Nicolau
Biology 2022, 11(5), 734; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11050734 - 11 May 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3212
Abstract
Mammals evolved from small-sized reptiles that developed endothermic metabolism. This allowed filling the nocturnal niche. They traded-off visual acuity for sensitivity but became defenseless against the dangerous daylight. To avoid such danger, they rested with closed eyes in lightproof burrows during light-time. This [...] Read more.
Mammals evolved from small-sized reptiles that developed endothermic metabolism. This allowed filling the nocturnal niche. They traded-off visual acuity for sensitivity but became defenseless against the dangerous daylight. To avoid such danger, they rested with closed eyes in lightproof burrows during light-time. This was the birth of the mammalian sleep, the main finding of this report. Improved audition and olfaction counterweighed the visual impairments and facilitated the cortical development. This process is called “The Nocturnal Evolutionary Bottleneck”. Pre-mammals were nocturnal until the Cretacic-Paleogene extinction of dinosaurs. Some early mammals returned to diurnal activity, and this allowed the high variability in sleeping patterns observed today. The traits of Waking Idleness are almost identical to those of behavioral sleep, including homeostatic regulation. This is another important finding of this report. In summary, behavioral sleep seems to be an upgrade of Waking Idleness Indeed, the trait that never fails to show is quiescence. We conclude that the main function of sleep consists in guaranteeing it during a part of the daily cycle. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advance in Sleep and Circadian Rhythms)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-5
Back to TopTop