The importance of Circadian Rhythms for sleep
Most of the things that happen in our bodies and minds follow natural rhythms. The processes with a period length of 24 hours are called Circadian Rhythms.
Circadian Rhythms are controlled by small nuclei in the middle of the brain. These nuclei are connected to other parts of the brain and together they help our bodies do what they need to do at the time they need to do it. For example, at night we need to rest to allow memory processing, cellular repair and brain development to take place whilst during the day we need to be alert.
What do Circadian Rhythms affect?
Circadian Rhythms affect many functions of the body including:
Body temperature
Blood pressure
The release of hormones
The stages of sleep
Alertness
Mood
Memory
Sleep quality
Hunger and appetite
Heart rate
Stress
Ongoing disruptions to circadian rhythms can result in insomnia, impaired glucose tolerance, obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, poor mental health, rheumatoid arthritis, Diabetes Type 2 and a shortened lifespan.
What interferes with Circadian Rhythms?
· Shift work
· Jet lag
· Aging
· SAD
· The times you eat
· What you eat
· Sunlight
· Times you sleep
· Darkness of your room at night when you sleep
What can you keep your Circadian Rhythms balanced?
Unbalanced Circadian Rhythms are often the result of having too much, or not enough exposure to the right sort of light. During the day our bodies need exposure to outdoor light for optimum health and wellbeing so getting outdoors for at least 30 minutes a day is essential. At night, we need to limit our exposure to the the artifical light found in some light bulbs, mobile phones computers and TV’s because it suppresses melatonin, the sleep hormone.
Why not contact us here and assess your natural rhythm and what to do if you are not sleeping well…