Dr. Jamie M. Zeitzer

Jamie M. Zeitzer, Ph.D.Stanford University

"There's really a spectrum from morningness to eveningness," says Dr. Jamie Zeitzer, a fellow in the Sleep Research Center at Stanford University in California."Most people fall in the middle, but there are people who are on each extreme."

Researchers believe that owlsâ€"a term for people who like to stay up lateâ€"and larksâ€"people who like to get up earlyâ€"have their body clocks set to different schedules.The body clock, also described as the body's circadian rhythm, controls sleep-wake patterns by regulating body temperature and hormones such as melatonin and cortisol.

"In most people, melatonin rises just before you go to bed and drops just after you wake up," Zeitzer says.
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Zeitzer suggests that owls begin gradually going to bed earlier."You may say 'Well, I'll try to go to sleep at midnight.I won't get eight hours of sleep, but I'll just try to get six.'" He also advises that owls sleep in a dark, quiet and temperate room.Likewise, he recommends that larks who have to be up late at night minimize their light exposure in the morning and create good sleep conditions.

"The most potent thing to affect circadian rhythms by far is light," says Zeitzer, who adds that exercise in the morning may help owls stay awake and that taking a melatonin supplement before going to sleep in the morning may assist larks who work at night.

People with an extreme sleep preference, however, are classified as having a sleep disorder: Extreme morningness is referred to as advanced sleep phase syndrome (ASPS) and extreme eveningness is called delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS)."While being a 'lark' or an 'owl' will change your social, work or life structure to a degree, having ASPS or DSPS can have a significant impact on your ability to have normal interactions with society," Zeitzer says.

"There's really a spectrum from morningness to eveningness," says Jamie Zeitzer, a fellow in the Sleep Research Center at Stanford University in California."Most people fall in the middle, but there are people who are on each extreme."

Researchers believe that owls - a term for people who like to stay up late - and larks - people who like to get up early - have their body clocks set to different schedules.The body clock, also described as the body's circadian rhythm, controls sleep-wake patterns by regulating body temperature and hormones such as melatonin and cortisol.

"In most people, melatonin rises just before you go to bed and drops just after you wake up," Zeitzer says.
...
Zeitzer suggests that owls begin gradually going to bed earlier.
...
"The most potent thing to affect circadian rhythms by far is light," says Zeitzer, who adds that exercise in the morning may help owls stay awake and that taking a melatonin supplement before going to sleep in the morning may assist larks who work at night.

People with an extreme sleep preference, however, are classified as having a sleep disorder: Extreme morningness is referred to as advanced sleep phase syndrome, or ASPS, and extreme eveningness is called delayed sleep phase syndrome, or DSPS.

"While being a 'lark' or an 'owl' will change your social, work or life structure to a degree, having ASPS or DSPS can have a significant impact on your ability to have normal interactions with society," Zeitzer says.

Jamie Zeitzer, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University, Marcello Massimini, MD, PhD, a graduate in medicine from the University of Milan, and Li-Ling Lim, MBBS, a fellow at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, have been awarded the Pickwick Postdoctoral Fellowships in Sleep by the National Sleep Foundation.
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Dr. Zeitzer was awarded the grant to work with Dr. Emmanuel Mignot in studying the normal physiologic role of hypocretin in regulating sleep and wake.

"There's really a spectrum from morningness to eveningness," says Jamie Zeitzer, PhD, a fellow in the Sleep Research Center at Stanford University in California.

Jamie M. Zeitzer, Ph.D., Young Investigator 2006
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Jamie M. Zeitzer, Ph.D., Young Investigator 2003

Jamie M. Zeitzer, Ph.D.
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Jamie M. Zeitzer, Ph.D.

Jamie M. Zeitzer, Ph.D., 2006
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Jamie M. Zeitzer, Ph.D., 2003

Seattle, Washington, June 9, 2002 - Jamie Zeitzer, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University, Marcello Massimini, MD, PhD, a graduate in medicine from the University of Milan, and Li-Ling Lim, MBBS, a fellow at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, have been awarded the Pickwick Postdoctoral Fellowships in Sleep by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF).
...
Dr. Zeitzer was awarded the grant to work with Dr. Emmanuel Mignot in studying the normal physiologic role of hypocretin in regulating sleep and wake.
...
After obtaining his bachelor's degree in biology from Vassar College, Dr. Zeitzer did his graduate work in neuroscience at Harvard University.He received doctoral training in human circadian physiology from Dr. Charles Czeisler.His doctoral thesis studied the physiology and anatomy of human circadian photoreception and melatonin regulation.After completing his doctorate, Dr. Zeitzer did a two-year fellowship in the Clinical Neurophysiology Program at UCLA, working under Dr. Charles Wilson and supported by the multi-site training grant of Dr. Michael Chase.

"There's really a spectrum from morningness to eveningness," says Jamie Zeitzer, PhD, a fellow in the Sleep Research Center at Stanford University in California."Most people fall in the middle, but there are people who are on each extreme."

Researchers believe that owls-a term for people who like to stay up late-and larks-people who like to get up early-have their body clocks set to different schedules.The body clock, also described as the body's circadian rhythm, controls sleep-wake patterns by regulating body temperature and hormones such as melatonin and cortisol.

"In most people, melatonin rises just before you go to bed and drops just after you wake up," Dr. Zeitzer says.
...
Dr. Zeitzer suggests that owls begin gradually going to bed earlier."You may say 'Well, I'll try to go to sleep at midnight.I won't get eight hours of sleep, I'll just try to get six.'" He also advises that owls sleep in a dark, quiet and temperate room.Likewise, he recommends that larks who have to be up late at night minimize their light exposure in the morning and create good sleep conditions.

"The most potent thing to affect circadian rhythms by far is light," says Dr. Zeitzer, who adds that exercise in the morning may help owls stay awake and that taking a melatonin supplement before going to sleep in the morning may assist larks who work at night.

People with an extreme sleep preference, however, are classified as having a sleep disorder: Extreme morningness is referred to as advanced sleep phase syndrome (ASPS) and extreme eveningness is called delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS)."While being a 'lark' or an 'owl' will change your social, work or life structure to a degree, having ASPS or DSPS can have a significant impact on your ability to have normal interactions with society," Dr. Zeitzer says.