“TED Talk”

1. June 17th, 2011 at 9:00 pm       Macguire Says:

   It makes you wonder why people enjoy not sleeping so much.

   I remember when I was a toddler (and have seen this type of behavior in many other young kids, I never wanted to go to bed. I guess at that age it is obvious to want to stay up longer to play and explore life. But as we get older, teens go out to parties until late at night, and they probably never suspect it could have such a negative effect. Due to the exposure to light when they stay up late, it’s harder for them to fall asleep, and it disrupts their sleeping patterns. After all the negative effects of not sleeping well and being exposed to light, it really shines a light (yes, pun VERY much intended) on the fact of how dangerous it can really be. I actually have a lot of trouble falling asleep, and have been taking melatonin supplements. I actually learned a lot from this video, and I might even start sleeping better because of you.

   Very interesting topic, with many relations to modern life. Great job!

   
   
2. June 17th, 2011 at 9:33 pm       Louise L Says:

   You said that light affects the amount of melatonin secreted by pineal gland, and the amount of melatonin affects our sleep. If we were asleep then our eyes would be closed, how does our body know if it’s light out or not? Does it mean that our body can sense light without seeing it? How would that work? If we could only sense light by seeing it how would light affect the amount of melatonin a blind person secretes?

   I always thought that the concept of an internal clock was just simply habits. Like the habit of always flicking on my bedroom lights when entering the room even if it’s light, something that you repeat so many times that you don’t think before you act anymore. Then how long would it take to readjust this internal clock? I go back to Taiwan almost every summer and there’s a 15 hour time difference so I literally have to change my days into nights and nights into days. I know very clearly what jetlag is like. Does the melatonin have anything to do with jetlag? And if you did this often then would it affect your health the same way as you’ve suggested above?

   
   
3. June 19th, 2011 at 1:49 pm       Michelle Per Says:

   Good job Steph! I’m sure this will prove helpful if I’m having trouble sleeping. I like how you picked a relative topic that many teenagers probably have experienced (lack of sleep).
   You know how kids leave nightlights on to prevent nightmares(theoretically). With the information you just gave me, I think night lights actually help with nightmares. If you can’t sleep, or wake up often, then you can’t really have night mares right? On the other hand, leaving a light on can cause illness (like the ones you listed). It can also impair your judgment, thinking, behavior, and energy as a result of being tired.
   -Michelle

   
   
4. June 19th, 2011 at 2:29 pm       Megan Says:

   Awesome TED Talk, Steph!
   Really informative and also laid out in such a way that makes sense and is easy to understand.
   After I watched it, I was thinking a lot about the amount of natural light in different parts of the world. When you compare the amounts of light in a country along the equator, and then somewhere on one of the poles of the Earth, the amount of light is very different. There are places which end up with long periods of darkness, or long periods of light. Does this variation in natural light have any noticeable effect on the people that might live there? If you lived somewhere which, in the winter, is mostly dark, would you be constantly tired or would your body adjust to the amounts of melatonin? If your body would adjust to increased amounts of melatonin due to all the darkness, when you went somewhere with lots of light would it be harder for you to fall asleep? Would your body need more melatonin to fall asleep then someone who lived in the presence of constant light would need?
   I’m not sure of these questions have any existing answers, but it is just what I was thinking about as I watched.
   Again, awesome job. (:

   
   
5. June 19th, 2011 at 6:35 pm       Sara without and "h"'s Blog! Says:

   Amazing job steph!
   I agree with megan, the information was easy to understand, even when you got into the more complicated stuff, like the different parts of the brain that enduce sleep. I was also woundering about the different amounts of natural light in different parts of the world and how it might effect sleep. I was also woundering that if the people that live in areas where they recieve more natural light are they able to adapt to it and get the same amount or peacful and restful sleep? or does the human brain never really adjust?
   Awesome TED talk, I loved! I also like your slides, I puased your video to read more carefully! Awesome job steph!

   
   
6. June 19th, 2011 at 8:47 pm       Daniel Says:

   Hey Steph, great talk!

   First off, I commend you for great articulation while talking. Everything you said was clear and easy to hear, and you spoke with a very good pace.

   I was reading up on another website and one post I came across regarding getting enough sleep suggested walking around the house with a pair of shades on half an hour before going to bed. At first, I was skeptical, but after hearing your talk, I realized how viable this advice might be

   However, I read somewhere in the past that, after days without proper sleep, your body will automatically “shut down” in a sleep-like state for a period of time based on how much it needs to recuperate its sleep losses in order to function properly. Do you have any information on this, whether your body still releases melatonin when it’s deprived of sleep, or it automatically shuts down in order to be able to keep your vitals functioning?

   Again, great job!

   
   
7. June 19th, 2011 at 9:09 pm       chowster24 Says:

   Excellent TED Talk! You really went in-depth and detailed into this topic. Next time, it would be nice if you could include more charts, graphs, or pictures that relate to your talk. Would the different seasons affect how you sleep? Does the effect of light have the same effect on animals and humans? I have noticed that babies usually can sleep anywhere even in a bright lighted environment. So does light have any pronounced effects on different age groups. Your TED Talk had many scientific points and was very explanatory. Well Done!

   
   
8. June 23rd, 2011 at 3:25 pm       Emily Says:

   Hey, Steph!
   Good job – it’s an interesting topic and you seem to know what you’re talking about. You also articulated very well. I find it interesting how most children want/need a nightlight in their room, when light makes it harder to sleep!
   You said how light inhibits melatonin production – this got me thinking about Earth’s polar regions, how in summer they can have non-stop sunlight or in winter, non-stop darkness. How does this affect their melatonin production? I assume they can have dark rooms in summer, and artificial light in winter, but it would be very interesting to look into.
   Well done!
   ~Emily

   
   
9. August 28th, 2011 at 4:29 pm       Sabrina Says:

   Hello, I’m a new reader here!

   Your video on Melatonin is really informative! Hope to see some updates from you soon.

   Will be visiting your blog some more!