Many people wake up early in the morning, while some sleep late. Some people sleep by 9 pm, while some are unable to sleep even till late night. Have you ever wondered why some people wake up regularly and go to sleep on time, while others do not? Your body has a natural clock that determines your sleep, wakefulness, drowsiness, and energy cycles based on light, temperature, and your daily activities. This natural clock is called the circadian rhythm. Learn about the circadian rhythm and how it works.
What is circadian rhythm?
Circadian rhythms are your body’s natural clock that determines how you should feel 24 hours a day. This rhythm tells your body when to sleep and when to wake up. It also affects many other physiological processes like your hormones, digestion and body temperature. But when lifestyle habits disrupt this rhythm, your wakefulness and sleep timings also get disrupted.
How does the circadian rhythm work?
Your body follows circadian rhythms through your brain. A small part of our brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the hypothalamus is the control center for circadian rhythms. It always recognizes light as a signal and reacts accordingly. When morning light hits your eyes, the SCN sends a wake-up signal, and melatonin (a sleep-inducing hormone) begins to decrease, waking up your body. For example, when light hits your eyes, cells send a message to your brain to stop producing melatonin (a hormone that helps you sleep) so you can wake up. When it gets dark, the brain is signaled to release melatonin to induce sleep.
Correct timing of circadian rhythm?
According to the Cleveland Clinic, adults may experience delayed sleep onset because the circadian rhythms of today’s youth are disrupted. When they were younger, they used to go to sleep at 8-9 pm, but now their melatonin levels peak just after 10:00 or 11:00 pm. And since they’re going to sleep late, they’ll have to sleep longer in the morning. Young people still need 9 to 10 hours of sleep a night. As for the elderly, people over the age of 60 may experience changes in their circadian rhythm. You can sleep early and wake up early. This is a normal part of aging.
What factors affect circadian rhythms?
Light and darkness have the greatest influence on circadian rhythms. But there are many other things that negatively impact your wake-sleep cycle.
Meal
Tension
physical activity
temperature
working overnight or office shifts
Travel
some medicines
mental states
head or brain conditions
bad sleeping habits
Everyone needs to maintain their circadian rhythm, and not doing so can lead to a number of problems. Such as delayed wound healing, hormonal changes, digestive problems, fluctuations in body temperature, lack of energy and poor memory.
How to fix your circadian rhythm?
To get your circadian rhythm in order, you need to follow a 24-hour routine. For example, to increase alertness, instead of sleeping in late in the morning, get up as soon as it’s light and take a walk outside in the light. Then, do physical activity. After completing your daily routine, keep the room temperature normal and sleep on time. By doing this you will wake up early in the morning and go to sleep early. Remember to avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol. Avoid blue light two hours before bed, and read a book or meditate if you want. Avoid sleeping in the afternoon or evening.
