CIRCADIAN RHYTHM
WHAT IS CIRCADIAN RHYTHM?
Circadian rhythm is a person’s mental, physical, and behavioral pattern within a 24-hour period. Most living organisms, including animals and plants, have a circadian rhythm. How a person responds to light and darkness largely impacts this area of our lives. Your circadian rhythm plays a significant role in when you sleep, and when you naturally wake up.
In short, this is your body’s internal clock that works to stimulate you to do something at the appropriate time. A small portion of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus is the part of the brain that controls the internal clock.Your body will respond to darkness. The body senses the lack of light and thinks that it’s nighttime, and it is time to sleep soon. Therefore, as the sun goes down, you may notice yourself become tired.
The main reason for this has to do with light. The sun produces blue light in the morning and blue light signals to your body that it is time to get up. However, our phones and computer screens also emit blue light. This tends to be bad for our circadian rhythm. The reason is that we often look at our phones or watch tv just before going to bed. In doing that, you just exposed yourself to blue light, which again, is signaling your body to wake up. Therefore, many of us find it difficult to fall asleep right away when we crawl into bed.
Circadian rhythm is a person’s mental, physical, and behavioral pattern within a 24-hour period. Most living organisms, including animals and plants, have a circadian rhythm. How a person responds to light and darkness largely impacts this area of our lives. Your circadian rhythm plays a significant role in when you sleep, and when you naturally wake up.
In short, this is your body’s internal clock that works to stimulate you to do something at the appropriate time. A small portion of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus is the part of the brain that controls the internal clock.Your body will respond to darkness. The body senses the lack of light and thinks that it’s nighttime, and it is time to sleep soon. Therefore, as the sun goes down, you may notice yourself become tired.
The main reason for this has to do with light. The sun produces blue light in the morning and blue light signals to your body that it is time to get up. However, our phones and computer screens also emit blue light. This tends to be bad for our circadian rhythm. The reason is that we often look at our phones or watch tv just before going to bed. In doing that, you just exposed yourself to blue light, which again, is signaling your body to wake up. Therefore, many of us find it difficult to fall asleep right away when we crawl into bed.
Circadian rhythm can have significant impacts on your health. If the circadian rhythm is disrupted, then it can have negative effects on health. If the rhythm is normalized, then you can gain health benefits from it.
The circadian rhythm affects when our blood pressure, cortisol, and other hormone levels rise and drop. Due to this, doctors may prescribe some medications to be taken at certain times in the day to match up with your circadian rhythm. Our bodies are designed to run in line with the rising and setting of the sun. So, as the sun sets, we begin to become more relaxed, and our blood pressure and cortisol levels begin to drop.
Common Circadian Rhythm Disorders and Causes
Being out of sync with your circadian rhythm can affect your mental and physical health. It can leave you feeling tire, unalert, with increased hunger, and susceptible to health conditions. Here is a list of circadian rhythm disruptors:
Jet Lag – Jet lag occurs after you have traveled across time zones. It can leave you feeling tired and out of sync. The time in which your body is used to the sun going down is either earlier or later. You may begin to have insomnia, digestive problems, and headaches for a few days following jet lag.
Shift Work – People that work night shifts may struggle to get enough sleep because of irregular sleeping patterns. This may include insomnia during the day and struggling to stay awake through the night at work.
Altered Sleep Phases – Four phases of altered sleep affect circadian rhythm, which are as follows.
Delayed Sleep Phase: This is a sleep pattern that is delayed by a couple of hours. For example, a person may not go to sleep until 2 or 3 in the morning and sleep till 10 a.m. Adolescents are most known for this sleep phase.
Advanced Sleep Phase: This is when a person goes to bed much earlier and wake up much earlier than most people. This phase is common among elderly individuals.
Irregular Sleep Phase: This phase is when a person’s sleep is so irregular that they are taking multiple naps throughout a 24-hour period. There is no consistency in their sleep pattern.
Non-24-H Sleep Phase: This is when a person may go to sleep later and later or wakes up later and later every day. The times in which they go to sleep and wake up, are not consistent. Those that are blind may experience this the most.
Symptoms of Circadian Rhythm Disorder
The following is a list of circadian rhythm disorder symptoms.
1. Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
2. Daytime sleepiness or sleepiness during shift work
3. Feeling fatigued or exhausted
4. Difficulty concentrating
5. Decreased alertness
6. Lack of control over emotions and mood
7. Headaches
8. Digestive problems
Conclusion
The body’s Circadian rhythm is essential, and we must consider them when it comes to our overall health. If you are struggling with normalizing your sleep patterns and your biological clock, then consider implementing the steps above and talk to your doctor.
Yorumlar
Yorum Gönder