Married people who cheat don't often regret it

Infidelity survey reveals little remorse, high rates of satisfaction

May 22, 2023

Science Daily/Johns Hopkins University

Married people who have affairs find them highly satisfying, express little remorse and believe the cheating didn't hurt their otherwise healthy marriages, finds a new report on the psychology of infidelity.

The extensive survey of people using Ashley Madison, a website for facilitating extramarital affairs, challenges widely held notions about infidelity, particularly about cheaters' motivations and experiences. The work is newly published in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior.

"In popular media, television shows and movies and books, people who have affairs have this intense moral guilt and we don't see that in this sample of participants," said lead author Dylan Selterman, an associate teaching professor in Johns Hopkins University's Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences who studies relationships and attraction. "Ratings for satisfaction with affairs was high -- sexual satisfaction and emotional satisfaction. And feelings of regret were low. These findings paint a more complicated picture of infidelity compared to what we thought we knew."

Researchers conducted this study to better understand the psychological experiences of those who seek and engage in extramarital affairs. Working with researchers at the University of Western Ontario, Selterman surveyed nearly 2,000 active users of Ashley Madison, before and after they had affairs.

Participants were asked about the state of their marriage, about why they wanted to have an affair, and about their general well-being. Respondents, generally middle aged and male, reported high levels of love for their partners, yet low levels of sexual satisfaction.

Participants reported high levels of love for their spouses, yet about half of the participants said that they were not sexually active with their partners. Sexual dissatisfaction was the top-cited motivation to have an affair, with other motivations including the desire for independence and for sexual variety. Fundamental problems with the relationship, like lack of love or anger toward a spouse were among the least-cited reasons for wanting to cheat.

Having great marriages didn't make cheaters any more likely to regret affairs, the survey found. Participants generally reported that their affair was highly satisfying both sexually and emotionally, and that they did not regret having it.

The results suggest that infidelity isn't necessarily the result of a deeper problem in the relationship, Selterman said. Participants sought affairs because they wanted novel, exciting sexual experiences, or sometimes because they didn't feel a strong commitment to their partners, rather than because of a need for emotional fulfillment, the report found.

"People have a diversity of motivations to cheat," Selterman said. "Sometimes they'll cheat even if their relationships are pretty good. We don't see solid evidence here that people's affairs are associated with lower relationship quality or lower life satisfaction."

Selterman hopes to advance this work by looking closer at how other populations of cheaters compare to the Ashley Madison population.

"The take-home point for me is that maintaining monogamy or sexual exclusivity especially across people's lifespans is really, really hard and I think people take monogamy for granted when they're committed to someone in a marriage. People just assume that their partners are going to be totally satisfied having sex with one person for the next 50 years of their lives but a lot of people fail at it. It doesn't mean everyone's relationship is doomed, it means that cheating might be a common part of people's relationships."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/05/230522131322.htm

Psychological Effects of Sleep Deprivation

Guest Post: Susan Sami

Sleeping allows our body and mind to rejuvenate and recharge. But, sleep deprivation has become a common issue impacting our well-being. It can be due to multiple reasons, such as work schedules, personal commitments, or an uncomfortable mattress.

A recommended amount of sleep is undervalued by many, but the aftereffects of sleep deprivation can cause physiological effects.  

A 'good night's sleep' makes you feel refreshed and recharged in the morning. But, when you are not getting quality sleep, you wake up as a grumpier person. Sleep deprivation can increase stressors in the body, leading to increased negative emotional responses.

Getting back your quality sleep might be easier than you think. Maintaining a proper sleep schedule, ensuring sleep hygiene, and opting for a comfortable mattress and body pillows could be a few simple things to help.

This article addresses the psychological effects of sleep deprivation and why quality sleep is important. So, let’s dive into it.

What can be the possible psychological effects of sleep deprivation?

A night without quality sleep, tossing and turning, you already know you will feel tired and cranky the next day. Unfortunately, missing out on quality sleep will not just make you grumpy and groggy; it does a lot more to your body.

Impaired cognitive function:

Sleep deprivation is heavily linked with cognitive function. The absence of good sleep leads to poor concentration, focus and problem-solving abilities. Memory function is also affected. Hence it gets harder to retain and recall information. Cognitive impairment can also affect work performance and increases the chances of errors.

When a person is sleep deprived, the ability to think and solve problems is also compromised. Not to mention, sleep-deprived people struggle with innovative solutions and creative decisions. Insufficient sleep decreases the whole mechanism and decreases the reaction time. Chronic sleep deprivation is also linked to cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases.

Emotional instability and mood disorders:

Sleep deprivation isa  wreckage to our emotional well-being. Overworking and sleep deprivation mess up overall mental health. It can also lead to increased irritability, mood swings and emotional instability.

Even minor issues can frustrate sleep-deprived individuals and escalate matters to another level. Also, not taking quality sleep increases the risk of developing mood disorders, anxiety, and depression.

Impaired Decision-Making:

Sleep-deprived individuals are unable to make sound decisions. Their ability to assess the risk and take timely decisions is also impacted. Professional life is also highly compromised if a person cannot make sound decisions, increasing the chances of errors and mistakes.

Stress response:

Our bodies become more prone to stress when we do not get quality sleep. Sleep deprivation is one of the most prominent triggers of stress. The lack of quality sleep increases the production of stress hormones such as cortisol leading to anxiety and aggressiveness.

A well-rested body can cope with stress. But, a sleep-deprived body has a weakened coping mechanism incapable of handling stress. Sufficient sleep regulates stress levels and also enhances resilience.

Reduced Emotional Empathy and Social Interactions:

Sufficient sleep is important for maintaining healthy relationships. Sleep-deprived individuals are exhausted, frustrated and irritated, and they also experience reduced emotional empathy, making it harder to connect with a person emotionally.

Sleep-deprived individuals skip social interactions, affecting their personal and professional relationships.

Causes of sleep deprivation:

There can be multiple factors of sleep deprivation, both internal and external. Let's explore some of the common causes of sleep deprivation.

Lifestyle:

Lifestyle choices can also impact sleep quality. Routine in life is important to maintain sanity. Hectic work schedules forced commitments, and peer pressure also affects sleep quality. Excessive screen time and irregular sleep patterns contribute to sleep deprivation.

Professional life:

Individuals working at night and rotating shifts also need better quality sleep issues. Moreover, healthcare professionals and other professions also have demanding schedules which interfere with adequate sleep.

Environmental factors:

One of the most prominent causes of sleep deprivation. Noise pollution, room temperature, uncomfortable mattress, light exposure, etc., contribute to poor sleep quality. All of these factors make it challenging for an individual to sleep properly.

Medical conditions:

An individual suffering from a medical condition is also sleep deprived. Also, sleep disorders such as insomnia, sleep apnea, and restless leg syndrome all come under medical conditions.

Stress and anxiety:

Anxiety disorder and depression can also lead to sleep deprivation. Overthinking makes it difficult for a person to sleep properly. Racing thoughts, restlessness, and fear all come under stress and anxiety, contributing to poor sleep quality.

Use of substance:

The use of substances and certain medications also contributes to low quality of sleep. Substances such as caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol disturb sleep patterns. Medications such as antidepressants and stimulants may have sleep-disrupting side effects.

It is extremely important to understand the root cause of sleep deprivation. Healthy sleeping habits improve the quality of life.

Wrapping up:

Sleep deprivation is not just being tired and feeling cranky all day long. It is much more than that; it has significant psychological effects on the body. Some psychological effects of sleep deprivation are emotional instability, mood disorders, stress responses, and social interactions. An individual must understand the importance of quality sleep and start prioritizing it. A better sleeping pattern improves cognitive abilities and overall quality of life.

How to Maintain Your Health When Traveling for Work

Guest Post:

Data show that approximately 1.3 million business trips are taken every day in the U.S.. If you are one of the millions traveling for work, your health may be negatively affected. Fortunately, this doesn’t have to be the case. Today, the MindSpa Personal Development System presents a variety of ways to maintain your health, even when you’re away from home.

Eat Right 

At home, you can stock your kitchen with all your favorite healthy provisions, and you know which local restaurants serve nutritious foods. Traveling, however, requires a little more planning. Regardless of your method of transportation, pack plenty of healthy travel snacks. Nuts and fruits are especially convenient if you don’t have a way to keep the food chilled. If you’re able to pack a small cooler, consider including string cheese, hummus and sliced carrots.  

Staying in a room with a kitchenette allows you to prepare your own meals. Visit the grocery store on your first day in town. Plan ahead for a healthier dining experience when you do eat out. Order water instead of soda. If possible, look at the menu ahead of time to make a nutritious selection.  

Sleep Well 

If you are traveling to a different time zone, take steps to address jet lag. Try to adjust your sleep schedule before the trip to more closely align with your destination’s time. Get plenty of rest before the trip to minimize the effects of jet lag. Expose yourself to natural light once you have reached your destination to help your body adjust.  

Even if you don’t end up in a different time zone, it can still be difficult to sleep in an unfamiliar place. Fortunately, there are ways to get better hotel sleep. Try to keep your routine consistent with what you do at home, and take time to relax before bed. Consider packing the following items to help you sleep well: 

●      Your own pillow 

●      Eye mask 

●      Ear plugs 

●      Sound machine 

Comfortable sleepwear can help you sleep by regulating your body temperature, allowing for greater mobility and reducing skin irritation. Consider investing in a comfortable pair of pajamas or a flattering and soft nightgown.

You can also try the MindSpa Personal Development System. Its compact system fits easily in your suitcase and it will help you to get the restful sleep you need on your work travels.

Stay Active 

Travel can disrupt your workout routine, but it’s important to stay active. Keep in mind that you don’t necessarily need to follow the same exercise regimen when traveling as you do at home. Try hotel room exercises, such as body-weight exercises and stretching. Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

If your hotel is fairly close to where you will be going for work, walk instead of driving. You can also walk to nearby restaurants, or simply go for a stroll just to explore. Consider staying at a hotel with a gym.  

Minimize Stress 

Travel and work are often stressful, and traveling for work can be doubly so. Do your best to minimize travel stress. Give yourself plenty of time to get to the airport or train station. If you are driving, make sure you have paper directions in case your GPS goes out. You can easily create a PDF of all of your travel route options before you leave. It’s easy to add pages to your PDF before printing so everything is saved together and easily accessible. 

Give yourself plenty of time to reach your destination. Plan carefully and stay organized. Take time to relax when you get to the hotel and try to have some fun on your trip. Before leaving, see what entertainment options are available.  

Avoid Drinking Too Much Caffeine

Business trips can be long and exhausting, but having too much caffeine can make them even more difficult. Caffeine is a natural stimulant that can help wake you up and keep you alert, but it can also lead to jitters, headaches, dehydration, or disrupted sleep patterns.

To avoid the potential negatives of too much caffeine during your business trip, it's important to take breaks throughout the day and get regular exercise. When consuming coffee drinks, look for drinks that don’t have too much caffeine, and try to avoid highly caffeinated options like espresso.

Focus on Healthy Travel Routines

Even though a healthy routine may take a little more planning when you are traveling, the basics for good health are the same whether you are home or away. Eat right, exercise, purchase some comfortable sleepwear so you get enough sleep, limit your caffeine intake, and control stress.

Losing sleep over losing sleep: how watching the clock impacts insomnia, use of sleep aids

May 16, 2023

Science Daily/Indiana University

Watching the clock while trying to fall asleep exacerbates insomnia and the use of sleep aids, according to research from an Indiana University professor -- and a small change could help people sleep better.

The research, led by Spencer Dawson, clinical assistant professor and associate director of clinical training in the College of Arts and Sciences' Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, focuses on a sample of nearly 5,000 patients presenting for care at a sleep clinic.

Insomnia affects between 4 and 22% of adults and is associated with long-term health problems including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and depression.

Participants completed questionnaires about the severity of their insomnia, their use of sleep medication and the time they spent monitoring their own behavior while trying to fall asleep. They were also asked to report any psychiatric diagnoses. Researchers conducted mediation analyses to determine how the factors influenced each other.

"We found time monitoring behavior mainly has an effect on sleep medication use because it exacerbates insomnia symptoms," Dawson said. "People are concerned that they're not getting enough sleep, then they start estimating how long it will take them to fall back asleep and when they have to be up. That is not the sort of activity that's helpful in facilitating the ability to fall asleep -- the more stressed out you are, the harder time you're going to have falling asleep."

As the frustration over sleeplessness grows, people are more likely to use sleep aids in an attempt to gain control over their sleep.

The results are published in The Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders. Additional co-authors are Dr. Barry Krakow, professor of psychiatry and behavioral health in the Mercer University School of Medicine; Patricia Haynes, associate professor in the Mel and Enid Zuckerman School of Public Health at the University of Arizona and Darlynn Rojo-Wissar, a postdoctoral fellow at Alpert Medical School of Brown University.

Dawson said the research indicates a simple behavioral intervention could provide help for those struggling with insomnia. He gives the same advice to every new patient the first time they meet.

"One thing that people could do would be to turn around or cover up their clock, ditch the smart watch, get the phone away so they're simply not checking the time," Dawson said. "There's not any place where watching the clock is particularly helpful."

With 15 years of of research and clinical experience in the sleep field, Dawson is interested in comparing individuals' sleeping experiences with what is concurrently happening in their brains. He trains and supervises doctoral students in the Department of Psychological and Brain Science's Clinical Science Program.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/05/230516115525.htm

Science Daily/Viewing art can improve our mood and well-being

May 5, 2023

Science Daily/Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Art can have a positive effect on our mood. But does this also work when we look at paintings on a screen? An international research team involving the University of Vienna, the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in Nijmegen and the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics (MPIEA) in Frankfurt am Main decided to investigate this question. The study was funded by the EU Horizon ART*IS Project. The results have now been published as an open access article in the journal Computers in Human Behavior.

240 study participants viewed an interactive Monet Water Lily art exhibition from Google Arts and Culture. By filling out a questionnaire, they provided information about their state of mind, how much pleasure they felt when looking at the pictures, and how meaningful they considered the experience to be. The results showed significant improvements in mood and anxiety after just a few minutes of viewing.

"Online art viewing is an untapped source of support for well-being that can be consumed as bite-sized bits of meaning-making and pleasure," says MacKenzie Trupp, first author from the University of Vienna.

The study also found that some participants were more receptive to art than others and were able to benefit more. This advantage could be predicted using a metric called "aesthetic responsiveness."

"Aesthetic responsiveness describes how people react to diverse aesthetic stimuli, like art and nature. The results showed that individuals with high levels of art and aesthetic responsiveness benefit more from online art viewing due to having more pleasurable and meaningful art experiences," explains Edward A. Vessel of MPIEA, developer of the Aesthetic Responsiveness Assessment (AReA).

The findings of this study are particularly interesting for people who are unable to visit museums in person, such as those with health problems. Furthermore, the results suggest that interactive art exhibitions and similar online experiences should be designed with an awareness of individual differences in aesthetic responsiveness. The study thus expands insight into the benefits and limitations of art in digital media and points the way for increasing the wellness potential of online art.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/05/230505101654.htm

How is sleep affected by changing clocks and seasons?

Study finds problems only when getting an extra hour of sleep

May 3, 2023

Science Daily/American Academy of Neurology

How are you sleeping? A new study has found the transition from daylight saving time to standard time, when one hour is gained overnight, was associated with a brief increase in sleep disorders such as difficulty going to sleep or staying asleep, but there was no such association when an hour is lost in the change from standard time to daylight saving time. The study is published in the May 3, 2023, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.It also found a small difference in the amount of sleep people get depending on the season.

"Sleep plays an essential role in maintaining good health, mood, cognition, job performance, and social activity, and it is influenced by the circadian rhythm, the internal clock that regulates body processes," said study author Ron B. Postuma, MD, MSc, of McGill University, in Montreal, Canada, and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. "The good news is that the sleep disruptions we observed following the change to standard time were brief and no longer evident two weeks after the shift."

The study involved 30,097 people, ages 45 to 85, who completed a questionnaire about sleep duration and satisfaction, ability to fall asleep, ability to remain asleep and excessive sleepiness during the day. Questions included, "Over the last month, how often did it take you more than 30 minutes to fall asleep?" and "Over the last month, how often did you wake in the middle of the night or too early in the morning and found it difficult to fall asleep again?" Those who responded three or more times a week to either of these questions were considered to have sleep problems.

For the change to standard time in the fall, researchers compared people who completed the questionnaire one week before the transition to those who completed it one week after. After adjusting for age, sex and location, they found those who completed the survey one week after the transition had a 34% increased risk of sleep dissatisfaction, with 28% reporting sleep dissatisfaction compared to 23% of those interviewed one week before. Those who completed the questionnaire one week after also had a more than two times greater risk of difficulty falling asleep, a 64% increased risk of difficulty remaining asleep, and a two times greater risk of excessive sleepiness during waking hours.

For the transition to daylight saving time in spring, researchers compared people who completed the questionnaire one week before the change to those who completed it one week after. They found no difference in sleep problems. However, they did find a nine-minute decrease in sleep duration one week after this transition.

Researchers looked at when participants completed the questionnaire: spring, summer, fall or winter. While they found no difference for sleep problems, they did find a small difference in sleep duration.

People who completed the questionnaire in summer had the shortest sleep duration, an average of 6.76 hours of sleep daily. People who completed the survey in the winter had the longest sleep duration, an average of 6.84 hours of sleep daily, a difference of five minutes.

"As disruptive as these transitions may feel in the short term, there may be few long-term implications of the repeated switch back and forth from daylight saving time to standard time." said Postuma. "However, previous research has linked the transitions to and from daylight saving time with higher rates of accidents as well as an increased risk of stroke and heart attack. Future studies are needed that follow individuals over time, including people living in areas with different light exposure and seasonal changes."

A limitation of the study was that it included only middle-aged and older adults, and results may not be the same for younger adults.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/05/230503200454.htm

Exposure to airplane noise increases risk of sleeping fewer than 7 hours per night

May 1, 2023

Science Daily/Boston University School of Public Health

A new study has found that people who were exposed to even moderate levels of aircraft noise were less likely to receive the minimum recommended amount of sleep each night, and this risk increased among people living in the Western U.S., near a major cargo airport, or near a large water body, and among people with no hearing loss.

As major airline officials predict another record summer air travel season, a new analysis by Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) and Oregon State University has found that exposure to even moderate levels of airplane noise may disrupt sleep, building upon a growing body of research on the adverse health effects of environmental noise.

Published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, the study found that people who were exposed to airplane noise at levels as low as 45 dB were more likely to sleep less than 7 hours per night. For comparison, the sound of a whisper is 30 dB, a library setting is 40 dB, and a typical conversation at home is 50 dB.

Sleep is essential to overall health and well-being, including daily physical and mental functioning, and a lack of adequate sleep can lead to increased risks of cardiovascular disease, depression, diabetes, cancer, and numerous other health conditions. Health experts state that most adults need seven to nine hours of sleep each night for healthy functioning.

This study is the first large-scale analysis of aircraft noise and sleep duration that accounts for the disruptive effects of multiple environmental exposures in communities, such as greenery and light at night (LAN).

Despite how common exposure to noise from aircraft is for many people, little is known about the health effects of aircraft noise, particularly in the U.S., according to study lead author Matthew Bozigar, assistant professor of epidemiology at OSU, and study senior author Junenette Peters, associate professor of environmental health at BUSPH.

"This study helps us understand the potential health pathways by which aircraft noise may act, such as through disrupted sleep," Peters says.

For the study, Dr. Peters, Dr. Bozigar and colleagues from BUSPH, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health examined airplane noise exposure and self-reported sleep disturbance among more than 35,000 participants living around 90 of the major US airports. The participants were selected from the Nurses' Health Study (NHS), an ongoing, prospective study of US female nurses who have completed biennial questionnaires since 1976.

The team examined aircraft noise levels every five years from 1995 to 2015, focusing on two measurements: a nighttime estimate (Lnight) that captures airplane noise occurring when people sleep, and a day-night estimate (DNL) that captures the average noise level over a 24-hour period and applies a 10 dB adjustment for aircraft noise occurring at night, when background noise is low. The DNL is also the primary metric that the FAA uses for aircraft noise policies, and the threshold for significant noise impacts is above DNL 65 dB. The team linked these measures at multiple thresholds with the nurses' geocoded residential addresses.

After accounting for a range of factors, including demographics, health behaviors, comorbidities, and environmental exposures such as greenery and light at night (LAN), the results showed that the odds of sleeping less than seven hours rose as airplane noise exposure increased.

Short sleep duration was also more likely among nurses who lived on the West Coast, near a major cargo airport or a large body of water, as well as among nurses who reported no hearing loss.

"We found surprisingly strong relationships for particular subgroups that we are still trying to understand," Bozigar says. "For instance, there was a relatively strong signal between aircraft noise and both dimensions of disrupted sleep, short sleep duration and poor sleep quality, near major cargo airports. There is likely more going on to this story, as cargo operations tend to use larger, older, heavily laden, and therefore noisier aircraft that often fly through the nighttime hours. And the quantity of cargo shipped by air has been steadily increasing over the last couple of decades, possibly linked to more e-commerce. If the trends continue, it could mean more aircraft noise impacts to more groups of people."

While the results suggested a clear link between airplane noise and sleep duration, the researchers observed no consistent association between aircraft noise and quality of sleep.

"Though we cannot recommend policy changes from the results from a single study, our study around 90 U.S. airports did reveal a connection between aircraft noise and getting less than the recommended amount of sleep," says Dr. Bozigar. "Current gaps in knowledge could be filled in the future by including additional demographic groups -- such as children, men, minority groups -- and more detailed metrics of aircraft noise rather than a nightly or 24-hour average in studies. There are also more detailed ways of measuring sleep than from self-reports, such as wearable activity monitors, like a Fitbit, that researchers are incorporating more frequently in studies. And we still need to design studies that include other common sources of transportation noise, such as from cars and trains, to determine the impact of each type on health."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/05/230501143012.htm

New research sheds light on how circadian rhythms work

April 26, 2023

Science Daily/Cornell University

New research from a multidisciplinary team helps to illuminate the mechanisms behind circadian rhythms, offering new hope for dealing with jet lag, insomnia and other sleep disorders.

Using innovative cryo-electron microscopy techniques, the researchers have identified the structure of the circadian rhythm photosensor and its target in fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster), one of the major organisms used to study circadian rhythms. The research, "Cryptochrome-Timeless Structure Reveals Circadian Clock Timing Mechanisms" published April 26 in Nature.

The research focused on fruit fly cryptochromes, key components of the circadian clocks of plants and animals, including humans. In flies and other insects, cryptochromes, activated by blue light, serve as the primary light sensors for setting circadian rhythms. The target of the cryptochrome photosensor, known as "Timeless" (TIM), is a large, complex protein that could not previously be imaged and thus its interactions with the cryptochrome are not well understood.

Circadian rhythms work via what are basically genetic feedback loops. The researchers found that the TIM protein, along with its partner, the Period (PER) protein, act together to inhibit the genes that are responsible for their own production. With suitable delays between the events of gene expression and repression, an oscillation in protein levels is established.

This oscillation represents the "the ticking of the clock and seems to be fairly unique to the circadian rhythm," said senior author Brian Crane, the George W. and Grace L. Todd Professor and chair of chemistry and chemical biology in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Blue light, Crane said, changes the chemistry and structure of cryptochrome's flavin cofactor, which allows the protein to bind the TIM protein and inhibit TIM's ability to repress gene expression and thereby reset the oscillation.

Much of the hard work of the study went into figuring out how to produce the complex of cryptochrome-TIM so it could be studied, because TIM is such a large, unwieldy protein, Crane said. To achieve their results, first author Changfan Lin, M.S. '17, Ph.D. '21, modified the cryptochrome protein to improve the stability of the cryptochrome-TIM complex and used innovative techniques to purify the samples, making them suitable for high-resolution imaging.

"These new methods allowed us to obtain detailed images of the protein structures and gain valuable insights into their function, said Lin, a Friedrich's Ataxia Research Alliance Postdoctoral Fellow at the California Institute of Technology. "This research not only deepens our understanding of circadian rhythm regulation but also opens up new possibilities for developing therapies targeting related processes."

Co-author Shi Feng, a doctoral student in the field of biophysics, did much of the cryo-electron microscopy work. Cristina C. DeOliveira, a doctoral student in the field of biochemistry and molecular and cell biology, was also a co-author.

One unexpected result from the study sheds light on how DNA damage is repaired in a cell. Cryptochromes are closely related to a family of enzymes involved in repairing damage to DNA, called photolyases. Crane said the research "explains why these families of proteins are closely related to each other, even though they're doing quite different things -- they're making use of the same molecular recognition in different contexts."

The study also offers an explanation for the genetic variation of flies that allows them to adapt to higher latitudes, where days are shorter in the winter and it's cooler. These flies have more of a certain genetic variant that involves a change in the TIM protein, and it wasn't clear why the variation could help them. The researchers found that because of how the cryptochrome binds TIM, the variation reduces the affinity of TIM for the cryptochrome. The interaction between the proteins is then modulated and the ability of light to reset the oscillation is changed, thus altering the circadian clock and extending the period of the fly's dormancy, which helps it survive the winter.

"Some of the interactions that we see here in the fruit fly can be mapped onto human proteins," Crane said. "This study may help us understand key interactions between components that regulate sleep behavior in people, such as how the critical delays in the basic timing mechanism get built into the system."

Another exciting finding, said Lin, was the discovery of an important structural area in TIM, called the "groove," which helps explain how TIM enters the cell nucleus. Previous studies had identified some factors involved in this process, but the exact mechanism remained unclear. "Our research provided a clearer understanding of this phenomenon," Lin said.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/04/230426210428.htm

Music for sleeping and music for studying share surprising similarities

A recent study on Spotify data reveals which types of music are used to help listeners focus while studying and fall asleep

April 20, 2023

Science Daily/Aarhus University

What type of music do you use while studying? What type of music would you use to fall asleep at night? Have you ever wondered why you choose certain types of music? It turns out that the music used for both these situations is actually pretty similar.

According to a recent study from Aarhus University, which analyzed data from the streaming service Spotify, music that people listen to while studying and sleeping share more similarities than with music in general.

The researchers used both qualitative and quantitative analysis to compare the two types of music based on tracks, genres and audio features.

The study found that people use similar types of music to accompany these tasks.

"Our study suggest that music used for studying and music used for sleeping share many characteristics in terms of tracks, genres and audio features. This similarity highlights the potential of music to create a pleasant but not too disturbing atmosphere, enabling individuals to focus on studying and relaxation for sleeping," says Rebecca Jane Scarratt, PhD student at the Center for Music in the Brain at Aarhus University.

Relaxing effects on the brain

The researchers analyzed many playlists seemingly used for studying or for relaxation before bedtime and found that these two types of music shared similar characteristics, such as slow tempo and repetitive patterns.

Among the most common genres found in both datasets were pop, lo-fi, classical and ambient music.

According to the study, the similarities could be attributed to their calming and relaxing effects on the brain. The slow tempo and repetitive patterns of the music help to lower heart rate and reduce stress, creating a conducive environment for both studying and sleeping.

The researchers also used statistical methods to compare the audio features between different datasets and determine whether there were significant differences.

They found that there were significant differences between sleep and general datasets in "Loudness," "Energy" and "Valence" which refers to the emotional tone or mood of a piece of music. The same was the case between study and general datasets, but there was no large difference between the study and sleep datasets.

According to Rebecca, the findings are the beginning of a new research trend that compares music used for different activities and could lead to a better understanding of how music affects our cognitive and emotional states. The findings shed light on the difference between how music is assumed to be used in theory and how it is actually used in practice.

"While more research is needed to fully understand the relationship between music and cognitive processes, our study provides a starting point for exploring the impact of music on our cognitive and emotional states, and how it may enhance our daily lives." says Rebecca Jane Scarratt.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/04/230420135404.htm

Time out: We all need a three-day weekend

April 13, 2023

Science Daily/University of South Australia

As a four-day work week is trialled in countries across the globe, health researchers at the University of South Australia say they're 'all in' when it comes to a long weekend, especially as new empirical research shows that the extra time off is good for our health.

Assessing changes in daily movements before, during and after holidays, researchers found that people displayed more active, healthy behaviours when they were on holiday, even when they only had a three-day break.

Across the 13-month study period, people generally took an average two to three holidays, each being around 12 days. The most common holiday type was 'outdoor recreation' (35 per cent), followed by 'family/social events' (31 per cent), 'rest and relaxation' (17 per cent) and 'non-leisure pursuits' such as caring for others or home renovations (17 per cent).

Specifically, it showed that on holiday people:

• engaged in 13 per cent more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) each day (or five min/day more)

• were five per cent less sedentary each day (or 29 min/day less)

• slept four per cent more each day (or 21 min/day more).

UniSA researcher Dr Ty Ferguson says that the research indicates that people display healthier behaviours when they are on holiday.

"When people go on holiday, they're changing their everyday responsibilities because they're not locked down to their normal schedule," Dr Ferguson says.

"In this study, we found that movement patterns changed for the better when on holiday, with increased physical activity and decreased sedentary behaviour observed across the board.

"We also found that people gained an extra 21 minutes of sleep each day they were on holiday, which can have a range of positive effects on our physical and mental health. For example, getting enough sleep can help improve our mood, cognitive function, and productivity. It can also help lower our risk of developing a range of health conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and depression.

"Interestingly, the size of these changes increased in line with the length of the holiday -- so the longer the holiday, the better the health benefits."

The study used data from the Annual rhythms in adults' lifestyle and health (ARIA) study where 308 adults (mean age 40.4 years) wore fitness trackers 24 hours a day for 13 months. Minute-by-minute

movement behaviour data were aggregated into daily totals to compare movement behaviours pre-holiday, during holiday and post-holiday.

Senior researcher UniSA's Prof Carol Maher says that the study offers support for the growing movement for a four-day week.

"A shorter working week is being trialled by companies all over the world. Not surprisingly, employees reported less stress, burnout, fatigue, as well as better mental health and improved work-life balance," Prof Maher says.

"This study provides empirical evidence that people have healthier lifestyle patterns when they have a short break, such as a three-day weekend. This increase in physical activity and sleep is expected to have positive effects on both mental and physical health, contributing to the benefits observed with a four-day work week.

"Importantly, our study also showed that even after a short holiday, people's increased sleep remained elevated for two weeks, showing that the health benefits of a three-day break can have lasting effects beyond the holiday itself.

"As the world adapts to a new normal, perhaps it's time to embrace the long weekend as a way to boost our physical and mental health."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/04/230413011820.htm