Summary of Satchin Panda's The Circadian Code

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 We are all shift workers. We follow different bedtime schedules on weekdays and weekends. The statement that we are all shift workers isn’t just an idea; data points to this fact.

#2 A single night shift has cognitive effects that can last a week. These lapses in memory or attention can make us vulnerable to bad habits. The effects on our health are also troubling, as we may inadvertently disrupt our family’s sleep patterns.

#3 We are all shift workers due to the way we live our lives. This includes workers in health services, manufacturing, construction, utility services, air transportation, and food services.

#4 The field of circadian biology was dismissed by many scientists until the mid-1970s. It was difficult to prove that humans have internal clocks, as there were no easy ways to remove all of the external timing cues.