Circadian Rhythm Regulation

Allada et al.’s article, “Circadian programming of the ellipsoid body sleep homeostat in Drosophila”, reminds me of virtually any article informing individuals on achieving better sleep habits. One article that really stuck out that I was also able to draw some similarities from is one by Healthline’s Kaitlin Vogel, entitled “Exposure to Natural Light During the Day May Help You Sleep Better”.

         Ravi Allada’s article investigates wake/sleep patterns in Drosophila. Through a series of different daily scheduled deprivation sessions, they noted that they found elevated morning rebound in comparison to the evening. They also gathered from this deprivation sequence that there were elevated levels of calcium in response to morning sleep loss. Through these findings, they revealed the circuit and molecular mechanisms that power a homeostatic sleep center powered by circadian clock neurons.

         Kaitlin Vogel’s article, while still focusing on circadian rhythm, primarily highlights the notion that daily natural light exposure has the ability to improve one’s sleep at night. Vogel proceeds to explain how light exposure is especially crucial in the winter months, as many don’t find themselves outside enough—thus resulting in poor sleep, and in turn, poor mental health.

         While Allada’s article primarily highlights the scientific background of sleep on a neural level, Vogel’s approach to this topic is more so based on circadian rhythm as a whole. Where they intersect, however, is regarding the sleep/wake pattern explanation in Vogel’s article, and the morning/evening rebound patterns in Drosophila that Allada and his crew investigated. The similarities drawn from this are the quicker rebounds found in the morning, versus faster and more efficient wake time that corresponds with daylight exposure. Allada also focuses on circadian disruption correlated with sleep deprivation in the Drosophila species. Vogel, in her article, also mentions circadian disruption, not in correlation with sleep deprivation, but once again due to lack of daylight exposure—especially in the winter months. What we are able to gather from both articles is that 1) enough sleep on a nightly basis, and 2) enough natural light exposure on a daily basis, are imperative to maintain a healthy circadian rhythm.