Home » Business & Finance » Shift Work » The Oldest Woman on Earth

The Oldest Woman on Earth

© Stephen Weistling

I recently had to get up at 3:30 a.m. in order to drive quite a distance to meet a group of friends for a day of hiking in the mountains. It wasn't a huge time shift like when I was working, but as I traveled down the road I noticed my stomach was feeling "heavy." I had not eaten yet that morning, and figured my body clock (at least in terms of my gastric system) was probably still in "sleep" mode. When I reached Flagstaff at about 6:30 I stopped for breakfast. I spent the rest of the day hiking and having fun, returning home in the late evening. Since I had resisted the urge to eat too early in the day, and since it was still dark out, I was able to drive with a minimum of light hitting my eyes, thus retarding the onset of the melatonin drop-off. My eating, subsequent sleeping habits remained normal throughout the extended day. I went to bed at my regular time, slept normally, and awoke refreshed and ready for the new day. What is the point of all this? Well, just that the things you learn about coping with shiftwork can be applied in seemingly unrelated and spontaneous activities.

But what about taking an unusual story and see how it might apply to shiftwork? I recently came across a blurb about the oldest woman on earth, who was celebrating her 116th birthday.

Her name is Kamato Hongo and she lives in Japan. We often hear of such people, and I'm a sucker for these stories, hoping to find a kernel of wisdom, a magical diet, or secret life ingredient, which will keep me young and healthy for many years to come. So what's special about Kamato Hongo? Well, it seems that she's legendary for her habit of sleeping for two days, then staying awake for two days at a time. Okay then.

Immediately, two questions came to mind. How in the world was she able to transition to this cycle? And does her unusual pattern of sleep have anything to do with her living so long?

As it turns out, both questions are easy to answer. When Kamato Hongo was 110, she broke her hip. As one might expect with someone that age, the recovery was slow and arduous. Kamato began sleeping for an entire day (see our article titled "Waking up to Sleep's Healing Powers"), and was apparently so well rested, she stayed up for the entire next day. This habit gradually extended into 48-hour episodes. What about eating, you might ask. Well, Kamato apparently has the ability to eat in her sleep. At least that's the story I read. This gives rise to the notion that her sleep pattern affords some "twilight" periods where some essential body functions may still be maintained. Maybe she's a sleepwalker. At any rate, Kamato is very famous for her unusual sleep cycle. Requests for interviews are handled in terms of when the reporter can catch her on one of her "awake" days.