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The rhythm of rest and excess

Nature Reviews Neuroscience volume 6, pages 407–414 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

There is a stark contrast between our attitudes to sleep and those of the pre-industrial age. In Shakespeare's Julius Cæsar we are told to “Enjoy the honey-heavy dew of slumber”. There seems little chance of this today, as we crave more, work more and expect more, and, in the process, abandon sleep. Our occupation of the night is having unanticipated costs for both our physical and mental health, which, if continued, might condemn whole sectors of our society to a dismal future.

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Figure 1: Interactions that modulate sleep, health and performance.
Figure 2: Shift-work schedules that have been used in Europe.
Figure 3: Health problems associated with shift work.

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Acknowledgements

Research in the laboratory of R.G.F. is supported by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the Wellcome Trust and the National Space Biomedical Institute (NSBRI). K.W. is currently supported by a Marie Curie Individual Fellowship by the EU.

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    Russell G. Foster & Katharina Wulff

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  2. Katharina Wulff
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Correspondence to Russell G. Foster.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Foster, R., Wulff, K. The rhythm of rest and excess. Nat Rev Neurosci 6, 407–414 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn1670

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