Our sleep and our health are intertwined. A new theory of the “mind after midnight” has been proposed by American researchers to refer to one of the ways this interaction occurs. They assume that when wakefulness replaces sleep, our minds tend to self-sabotage. Although it’s a theory for now, the authors point to possible evolutionary reasons behind the phenomenon.

Circadian night.
Although the name of the theory refers to midnight, it is actually based not on chronological charts, but rather on the circadian rhythm, the internal clock that determines what time of day we go to and when we go to bed. Should be more active.

The theory therefore refers to what they call the “biological circadian night,” when our brain and body are ready to rest. The team published this theory in the form of an article in the journal. Boundaries in Network Physiology.

Mind after midnight.
At this time, the brain will experience neurophysiological changes in the brain that affect cognition and behavior compared to normal wakefulness. The changes will make us more prone to harmful behavior and impulsive decision-making in the world in a more negative way.

This will translate into actions that range from the most harmless behaviors like having a late night snack to risky behaviors like getting addicted to alcohol and gambling and other substances. It can also trigger self-harming behavior in severe cases.

One of the keys will be in changing our brain’s mechanisms for acquiring information and managing its rewards. For example, the body releases higher levels of dopamine at night, which may encourage risky behaviors, according to the researchers.

Hunters by day, hunt by night.
Elizabeth B. Klerman, a senior researcher among the authors of the paper, said in a press release published by Massachusetts General Hospital, “The basic idea is that, from a high-level, global, evolutionary perspective, the circadian biological clock is set to a process that promotes sleep, not wakefulness, after midnight. ”

The reason for this harmony and this “mind after midnight” would be that man is better able to hunt during the day, but is more vulnerable at night. For this reason, we are “programmed” to pay attention to negative stimuli at night and to be more attentive and pessimistic about danger.

Help those who need to stay awake.
Klerman and his team present their theory as a call to the scientific community to explore the question. Ultimately, the goal will be to help people who, for health reasons (those with some form of insomnia) or work needs, need to stay awake early in the morning against the dictates of their internal clocks.

A hypothesis to be tested.
Therefore, the validity of this theory continues to be validated, although it is based on some studies with results pointing in this direction. The challenge for those who want to do this will be to discern the effects of other variables on human behavior.

An example of this would be crime. “Mind after midnight” hypothesizes that some of the nighttime increase in crime may be linked to these negative thoughts. However, since it is relatively easy to commit crimes at night, it will be difficult to distinguish between the two conditions.

The same can be said for self-harming behavior. This may be due to the “mind after midnight”, but it may also be due to the fact that when everyone else is asleep, people who are awake may feel that they have no one to turn to to relieve the feeling of loneliness.

The importance of sleep.
In any case, this theory fits with what we already know: both the human body and the human brain need proper rest. For this reason, many experts try to find ways to help us sleep better and get the most out of it.

While this often evolves into more and more effective drugs with fewer side effects, it also means we have a range of resources at our disposal to sleep longer and better (this is even more important during the intense hot months). For example, trying to take advantage of the night to keep the clocks regular and sleep, going to bed between 10 pm and 11 pm is a common recommendation that fits well with the proposed new theory.

Maintaining other healthy habits such as a balanced diet and exercise (although taking a break at least a few hours before bedtime) are the clues we can find on a regular basis. Also avoid screens and lights (even music) before bed, as these can trick our bodies into thinking it’s sooner than it actually is.

Image | Megan te Boekhorst