Our sleep and activity schedules, and our well-being in general, are subject to diurnal cycles.
That’s why sometimes, no matter what we do, it can be difficult to get ready for work in the afternoon or to force ourselves to go to a workout in the morning.
In this article, we’ll figure out how to make friends with your biological clock in order to use it to your advantage.
What are circadian rhythms
Circadian rhythms are our biological clock.
They set the rhythm for all vital processes in the body.
Circadian rhythms are determined by genes which start and stop metabolic processes, such as storing energy or releasing hormones.
About 20% of all our genes turn on and off during one complete cycle.
How our internal clock works
The genes responsible for our internal clock are called period and timeless.
Their activity fluctuates throughout the day and is regulated by a feedback loop mechanism.
As soon as the level of proteins encoded by these genes reaches a certain level, the synthesis of these proteins stops.
When the level drops, synthesis resumes.
Sleep and wakefulness are affected by light
Light and its absence are the main, though not the only, regulators of circadian rhythms.
Cold blue light from office lamps, computer screens, TVs, and smartphones disrupts these rhythms.
As a result, the body “thinks” that light day is in full swing.
Red and green light also negatively affects the internal clock.
Circadian rhythms are “turned on” and “turned off” by light.
Bright artificial light triggers cascades of chemical reactions and disrupts the correct daily routine.
Circadian rhythms in humans are not a separate organ, they cannot be seen or felt.
But they are necessary for health and normal functioning – and are preserved even in many blind people.
If you watch soap operas at night, have a late and dense dinner, work night shift and go to bed at dawn, the coordinated work of genes and circadian rhythms is disturbed.
Some metabolic processes start later than usual, and some stop altogether.
How circadian rhythms affect our health
Night shifts can increase your risk of cancer – with disrupted circadian rhythms, your body has a harder time preventing tumors from forming.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer has even classified shift work as a carcinogen.
Working with a consistent night schedule, rather than a bouncing schedule, may be less dangerous in this regard.
Scientists have linked circadian rhythm disturbances to serious but preventable diseases: type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, stroke, and cancer.
How circadian rhythms affect disease risk
Insomnia, sleep deprivation and poor quality of sleep lead to hypertension and insulin resistance, which raise blood glucose levels.
These symptoms, signal metabolic abnormalities and cardiovascular disease.
Studies show that people who work the night shift are more likely to suffer from obesity, type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
If you have a problem with your circadian rhythm, you should take supplements
Why Disrupting Circadian Rhythms Is Dangerous
Poor quality sleep brings other, less obvious problems.
A sleep-deprived person easily gains weight and has trouble losing it.
They crave sweets and fast food more often than healthy foods, because the body tries to compensate for the lack of energy by craving simple carbohydrates.
Also, when biorhythms are disrupted, it becomes more difficult to fall asleep and wake up, and caffeine addiction develops.
You want to sleep for as long as possible, but sleep ceases to replenish your energy.
The risk of depression increases, and mood swings and outbursts of negative emotions arise during the day.
And the body becomes more vulnerable to disease and infection.
How to restore circadian rhythms
The good news is that a broken biological clock can be repaired.
With a proper daily routine, you’ll get your productivity and healthy sleep back.
Restoring circadian rhythms and daily routines does not mean that you have to go to bed right after sunset, especially if you are a night owl.
The main thing is to avoid artificial light and fall asleep between the time when melatonin is produced, i.e., from 12 to 4 a.m.
To facilitate falling asleep, it will help to give up the gadgets an hour or two before bedtime.
Also, in the evening should include lamps with a warm, subdued light instead of bright fluorescent lights.
To restore the sleep regime, you should go to bed every day at about the same time, even if it’s a weekend.
I also personally recommend that you start taking supplements
