The human body goes through changes all the time. These changes don’t just happen as we age, they also happen even in one single day. Circadian rhythms refer to behavioral, physical, and mental changes over a 24-hour period. This is a round-the-clock cycle and a part of the body’s internal clock. It runs in the background, carrying out important processes and functions. The master clock of the circadian rhythms is located in the brain. The sleep-wake cycle is an example of circadian rhythms.
Not just humans, all plants, animals, and even microbes have their circadian rhythms. If you look closely, you will observe that the entire galaxy has its rhythm. For example, stars collapse into white dense dwarfs. Again the cosmic resources unleashed helps in the formation of new stars and planetary bodies.
Many things affect our circadian rhythms. The body’s master clock is influenced directly by environmental cues like light. This is why the rhythms are tied to the cycle of day and night. The brain receives signals from the environment and activates of some hormones, changes the body temperature and regulates your metabolism, which is what keeps us alert or makes us feel sleepy.
Nobel Prize for Circadian Rhythms Research
Interestingly, scientists Michael W. Young, Michael Rosbash, and Jeffrey C. Hall won the 2017 Noble Prize for their research work on circadian rhythms. They studied fruit flies that have the same genetic makeup as humans and were able to isolate a gene, which is responsible for controlling the body clock.
The research discovered that this gene makes a protein in the cells overnight and then breaks down during the daytime. This process affects how the brain works while you sleep and also other bodily functions. The Maryland, US based National Institute of General Medical Sciences funded this study.
How do you know about imbalance of your Circadian Rhythms
Sometimes our circadian rhythms go out of sync. This can occur because of many reasons, such as –
1. An erratic work routine
2. Working hours that go against the natural light and dark routine
3. Mental health conditions
4. Excessive stress
5. Jet lag
6. Light from electronic devices in the night that confuses our biological clocks
7. Health conditions like dementia or brain damage
8. Head injury
9. As a side effect of medications
10. Poor or inadequate sleep
11. Excessive drinking late into the night
12. Watching television too close to the bedtime
13. Eating greasy and oily foods at night
14. Overeating
Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders
This involves either facing problems in falling asleep, waking up frequently in the night, or waking up too early in the morning. It involves one of these three issues –
1. Difficulty in falling asleep
2. Waking up often during the sleeping time and facing problems is sleeping again
3. Waking up too early and inability to go back to sleep again
Here are some of the types of circadian rhythm sleep disorder –
Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder – In this, you go to sleep, but wake up about 2 hours later that what is considered to be a normal sleep-wake cycle. For instance, you may face problems in sleeping until 2 AM or even later, but then go on to sleep until 3 in the afternoon. Common features include –
· You are most creative or productive late into the night
· You feel sleepy throughout the day when you wake up early
· You sometimes feel unmotivated and lazy
This condition can run in families.
Advanced Sleep Phase Disorder – This may make you feel sleepy in the early evening between 6-9 PM. You may wake up early too between 2-4 AM. The common features are –
· Insomnia or waking up in the early morning
· Feeling sleepy in the late afternoon or early evening
· Affects mostly in older adults
· May run in families
Irregular Sleep-Wake Rhythm – Here is the sleep-wake cycle gets disturbed. You may have power naps several times in 24 hours. The common symptoms are –
· Chronic insomnia
· Or feeling excessively sleepy
This condition is usually seen in people who have neurological conditions like dementia and in those who have suffered a traumatic brain injury.
Non-24-Hour Sleep-Wake Syndrome – In this disorder, you have the same length of awake and sleep time. However, the body’s internal clock is longer than 24 hours. So the actual sleep and wake cycle will change daily. The time may be delayed by 1-2 hours every day. This condition is seen mostly in the visually impaired people.
Health Effects
It is important to maintain the circadian rhythm for good health. There can be both long-term and short-term consequences if there is an imbalance and if you are not getting enough sleep. There can be negative health effects in many areas like,
The cardiovascular system
Circadian rhythm imbalance may increase the risk of diabetes, mental health issues and even memory loss. Sleeping problems may lead to lack of energy. Some researchers also believe that injuries may take longer to heal. Guruspeak Energy healers can bring back the balance. Our affirmations healing system can help increase the positive forces in your life, help you relax, which will help you sleep better.