Optimal adjustment of the human circadian clock in the real world.
Which suggestions for behavioral modifications, based on mathematical models, are most likely to be followed in the real world? We address this question in the context of human circadian rhythms. Jet lag is a consequence of the misalignment of the body's internal circadian (~24-hour) clock duri...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2020-12-01
|
| Series: | PLoS Computational Biology |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008445 |
| _version_ | 1818579137147699200 |
|---|---|
| author | Samuel Christensen Yitong Huang Olivia J Walch Daniel B Forger |
| author_facet | Samuel Christensen Yitong Huang Olivia J Walch Daniel B Forger |
| author_sort | Samuel Christensen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Which suggestions for behavioral modifications, based on mathematical models, are most likely to be followed in the real world? We address this question in the context of human circadian rhythms. Jet lag is a consequence of the misalignment of the body's internal circadian (~24-hour) clock during an adjustment to a new schedule. Light is the clock's primary synchronizer. Previous research has used mathematical models to compute light schedules that shift the circadian clock to a new time zone as quickly as possible. How users adjust their behavior when provided with these optimal schedules remains an open question. Here, we report data collected by wearables from more than 100 travelers as they cross time zones using a smartphone app, Entrain. We find that people rarely follow the optimal schedules generated through mathematical modeling entirely, but travelers who better followed the optimal schedules reported more positive moods after their trips. Using the data collected, we improve the optimal schedule predictions to accommodate real-world constraints. We also develop a scheduling algorithm that allows for the computation of approximately optimal schedules "on-the-fly" in response to disruptions. User burnout may not be critically important as long as the first parts of a schedule are followed. These results represent a crucial improvement in making the theoretical results of past work viable for practical use and show how theoretical predictions based on known human physiology can be efficiently used in real-world settings. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T06:56:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-189a0a605f794474bcf8cd7832121f49 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1553-734X 1553-7358 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T06:56:55Z |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS Computational Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-189a0a605f794474bcf8cd7832121f492022-12-21T22:40:15ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Computational Biology1553-734X1553-73582020-12-011612e100844510.1371/journal.pcbi.1008445Optimal adjustment of the human circadian clock in the real world.Samuel ChristensenYitong HuangOlivia J WalchDaniel B ForgerWhich suggestions for behavioral modifications, based on mathematical models, are most likely to be followed in the real world? We address this question in the context of human circadian rhythms. Jet lag is a consequence of the misalignment of the body's internal circadian (~24-hour) clock during an adjustment to a new schedule. Light is the clock's primary synchronizer. Previous research has used mathematical models to compute light schedules that shift the circadian clock to a new time zone as quickly as possible. How users adjust their behavior when provided with these optimal schedules remains an open question. Here, we report data collected by wearables from more than 100 travelers as they cross time zones using a smartphone app, Entrain. We find that people rarely follow the optimal schedules generated through mathematical modeling entirely, but travelers who better followed the optimal schedules reported more positive moods after their trips. Using the data collected, we improve the optimal schedule predictions to accommodate real-world constraints. We also develop a scheduling algorithm that allows for the computation of approximately optimal schedules "on-the-fly" in response to disruptions. User burnout may not be critically important as long as the first parts of a schedule are followed. These results represent a crucial improvement in making the theoretical results of past work viable for practical use and show how theoretical predictions based on known human physiology can be efficiently used in real-world settings.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008445 |
| spellingShingle | Samuel Christensen Yitong Huang Olivia J Walch Daniel B Forger Optimal adjustment of the human circadian clock in the real world. PLoS Computational Biology |
| title | Optimal adjustment of the human circadian clock in the real world. |
| title_full | Optimal adjustment of the human circadian clock in the real world. |
| title_fullStr | Optimal adjustment of the human circadian clock in the real world. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Optimal adjustment of the human circadian clock in the real world. |
| title_short | Optimal adjustment of the human circadian clock in the real world. |
| title_sort | optimal adjustment of the human circadian clock in the real world |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008445 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT samuelchristensen optimaladjustmentofthehumancircadianclockintherealworld AT yitonghuang optimaladjustmentofthehumancircadianclockintherealworld AT oliviajwalch optimaladjustmentofthehumancircadianclockintherealworld AT danielbforger optimaladjustmentofthehumancircadianclockintherealworld |