In recent years a lot of attention has been given to sleep, an essential part of our daily cycle, which accounts for approximately one-third of our lifetimes. World Sleep Day, organized by the World Association of Sleep Medicine, is held every March to highlight the importance of sleep for a healthy life and raise awareness of the impacts of sleep disorders. In Japan there is an additional day focused on sleep, with Autumn Sleep Day held every September 3rd. These two events are part of a non-continuous period called Sleep Health Week. In support of this Otsuka Pharmaceutical organizes information sessions and shares information on our website explaining the importance of internal bodily rhythms.
Although we use a 24-hour cycle to measure time daily, our internal body clock cycle is actually a little longer than 24 hours. We usually reset this difference by getting some morning sunlight or by having breakfast. However, due to our modern lifestyles and an always-on society there is an increased risk for a more significant gap to develop between our internal clock and our daily routine, which can lead to an irregular sleep pattern.