Body Clocks, Sleep and Society
Tony Fernando |
TEDxAuckland
• November 2019
Humans have different body clocks or circadian rhythms. These rhythms are more nature than nurture and we can only influence them only to a small degree. Most of us feel sleepy at night, sleep before midnight and wake up in the morning. However, for a small population they naturally feel alert at night, fall asleep after midnight, and as a result wake up closer to midday. From teenagers who naturally experience a temporary shift in sleeping patterns to adults who are glued to their blue light devices. Dr Tony Fernando shares his thoughts, anecdotes and scientific insights on this biological phenomenon.
Tony is a psychiatrist, sleep specialist and has been a senior lecturer in Psychological Medicine at the University of Auckland. He has been published in local and international research journals in sleep medicine and medical compassion. In 2015, he received the Chair’s award from the New Zealand Medical Association.