How does circadian rhythm affect your overall health. What are effective methods to reset your body’s internal clock. Can lifestyle changes improve your sleep-wake cycle. How long does it take to establish a new circadian rhythm.

Understanding Circadian Rhythm: The Body’s Internal Clock

Circadian rhythm is more than just a sleep regulator; it’s a complex biological system that orchestrates numerous bodily functions. This 24-hour internal clock influences hormone production, immune system function, digestion, and organ performance. Dr. Alicia Roth, a behavioral sleep medicine psychologist, emphasizes that “It’s not just for sleep. It’s for everything that goes on in our body.”

Individual circadian rhythms can vary significantly. Some people are natural early risers, while others function better as night owls. Understanding your personal rhythm is crucial for optimizing your daily schedule and overall well-being.

What factors influence circadian rhythm?

Several external cues, known as zeitgebers, play a role in regulating our internal clock:

• Light exposure (especially sunlight)
• Temperature fluctuations
• Eating patterns
• Work or school schedules
• Exercise routines

These factors can either reinforce or disrupt our natural circadian rhythm, making it essential to be mindful of our daily habits and environmental influences.

Signs Your Circadian Rhythm Needs Resetting

Recognizing when your internal clock is out of sync is the first step towards improvement. Common indicators include:

• Persistent fatigue or drowsiness during the day
• Difficulty falling asleep or waking up at desired times
• Irregular sleep patterns
• Mood swings or irritability
• Decreased cognitive function or productivity

If you’re experiencing these symptoms, especially after significant lifestyle changes like shift work or frequent travel across time zones, your circadian rhythm may need adjustment.

Can jet lag disrupt circadian rhythm long-term?

While jet lag is typically a temporary disruption, frequent long-distance travel can lead to chronic circadian rhythm disturbances. Travelers who regularly cross multiple time zones may experience prolonged sleep issues, daytime fatigue, and other health concerns related to an inconsistent internal clock.

The Science Behind Circadian Rhythm Reset

Resetting your circadian rhythm involves more than just changing when you sleep. It’s about realigning your body’s internal processes with external cues. This reset affects various physiological systems:

• Melatonin production
• Cortisol release
• Body temperature fluctuations
• Metabolic processes

Understanding these underlying mechanisms can help you make more informed decisions about lifestyle changes to support your circadian rhythm.

How does light exposure affect melatonin production?

Light exposure, particularly blue light, suppresses melatonin production. This hormone plays a crucial role in regulating sleep-wake cycles. Exposure to natural daylight in the morning and limiting artificial light in the evening can help maintain a healthy melatonin rhythm, promoting better sleep quality and more consistent wake times.

Effective Strategies for Resetting Your Circadian Rhythm

Resetting your internal clock requires a multi-faceted approach. Dr. Roth suggests several strategies to help realign your sleep-wake cycle:

1. Establish a consistent sleep schedule
2. Create a bedtime routine
3. Manage light exposure
4. Optimize your sleep environment
5. Time your meals and exercise appropriately
6. Limit caffeine and alcohol intake
7. Gradually adjust sleep times

How long does it take to reset circadian rhythm?

The time required to reset your circadian rhythm can vary depending on individual factors and the extent of the disruption. Generally, it takes about one to two weeks of consistent practice to establish a new sleep-wake pattern. However, for more significant changes or in cases of chronic sleep disorders, the process may take longer and might require professional guidance.

The Role of Exercise in Circadian Rhythm Regulation

Physical activity is a powerful tool for synchronizing your internal clock. Regular exercise can help:

• Improve sleep quality
• Regulate melatonin production
• Boost daytime alertness
• Reduce stress and anxiety that may interfere with sleep

However, the timing of exercise is crucial. While morning workouts can help reinforce an earlier wake time, evening exercise may delay sleep onset for some individuals. It’s important to find the right balance that works for your personal circadian rhythm.

Does the type of exercise matter for circadian rhythm?

While any form of physical activity can be beneficial, some studies suggest that outdoor exercise, especially in natural light, may have a more pronounced effect on circadian rhythm regulation. Activities like morning jogs or evening walks can help reinforce the body’s natural light-dark cycle, potentially leading to more stable sleep patterns.

Nutrition and Circadian Rhythm: The Connection Between Eating Patterns and Sleep

Your eating habits play a significant role in regulating your internal clock. The timing of meals can act as a powerful zeitgeber, influencing various physiological processes including:

• Insulin sensitivity
• Metabolic rate
• Digestive enzyme production
• Hormone release

Aligning your meal times with your natural circadian rhythm can improve sleep quality, energy levels, and overall health.

How does intermittent fasting affect circadian rhythm?

Intermittent fasting, when done in alignment with natural light-dark cycles, may help reinforce circadian rhythms. Time-restricted eating, where food intake is limited to a specific window during daylight hours, can help synchronize metabolic processes with the body’s internal clock. However, it’s essential to approach such dietary changes carefully and consult with a healthcare professional, especially if you have underlying health conditions.

Technology and Circadian Rhythm: Balancing Modern Life with Biological Needs

In our increasingly digital world, technology poses both challenges and opportunities for maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm. While artificial lighting and screen time can disrupt natural sleep-wake cycles, certain technological innovations can also assist in rhythm regulation:

• Blue light filtering apps and glasses
• Smart lighting systems that mimic natural light patterns
• Sleep tracking devices and apps
• Meditation and relaxation apps

The key is to use technology mindfully, leveraging its benefits while mitigating its potential negative impacts on your circadian rhythm.

Can wearable devices accurately track circadian rhythms?

While consumer-grade wearable devices can provide insights into sleep patterns and activity levels, their ability to accurately measure circadian rhythms is limited. Professional-grade actigraphy devices and laboratory tests remain the gold standard for precise circadian rhythm assessment. However, consumer devices can still be valuable tools for tracking sleep consistency and identifying patterns that may influence your internal clock.

Circadian Rhythm Disorders: When to Seek Professional Help

While many circadian rhythm disruptions can be addressed through lifestyle changes, some individuals may experience more persistent issues that require medical intervention. Common circadian rhythm disorders include:

• Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder (DSPD)
• Advanced Sleep Phase Disorder (ASPD)
• Non-24-Hour Sleep-Wake Rhythm Disorder
• Irregular Sleep-Wake Rhythm Disorder
• Shift Work Sleep Disorder

If you’re consistently struggling with sleep despite making lifestyle changes, it may be time to consult a sleep specialist or chronobiologist.

What treatments are available for circadian rhythm disorders?

Treatment options for circadian rhythm disorders may include:

• Light therapy
• Chronotherapy (gradual sleep schedule adjustments)
• Melatonin supplementation
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)
• Prescription medications in severe cases

A healthcare professional can help determine the most appropriate treatment plan based on your specific symptoms and circumstances.

Understanding and optimizing your circadian rhythm is a powerful way to improve your overall health and well-being. By implementing the strategies discussed and remaining mindful of your body’s natural rhythms, you can work towards achieving better sleep, increased energy, and enhanced daily functioning. Remember that everyone’s circadian rhythm is unique, so it may take some experimentation to find the approach that works best for you. With patience and consistency, you can reset your internal clock and enjoy the benefits of a well-regulated circadian rhythm.

Do You Need to Reset Your Circadian Rhythm? – Cleveland Clinic

If you work third shift, pull all-nighters (whether it’s studying or bingeing a TV show) or experience jetlag, your internal clock might be off.

Circadian rhythm, the name given to your body’s 24-hour internal clock, controls your body’s sleep-wake cycle.

“It’s not just for sleep,” says behavioral sleep medicine psychologist Alicia Roth, PhD. “It’s for everything that goes on in our body. We have internal clocks for our hormones, our immune system, our digestion. Our organs all run on some sort of timing system.”

And everyone’s internal clock varies — you might be an early riser, a night owl or somewhere in between.

If you’ve been feeling tired and think your internal clock is off, can you reset your circadian rhythm? Dr. Roth gives us advice on how to improve our sleep schedule.

Can you reset your circadian rhythm?

Yes, you can reset your circadian rhythm. But first, it’s important to understand your own individual circadian rhythm.

“I tell a lot of patients that they’re trying to fit a square peg into a round hole,” says Dr. Roth. “For example, they might be natural night owls and their body wants to go to bed at midnight, but they’re pushing their body to go to bed at nine.”

In this example, because your body is not set up to go to bed that early, you might have trouble falling asleep and trouble waking up at the time you’d like.

“It’s also ideal to be aware of your circadian rhythm because it also dictates when you’re going to be most alert during the day and when you’re going to be the most productive,” says Dr. Roth. “People who are night owls tend to be most productive in the later evening. And people who are morning people tend to be most productive in the morning.”

Factors like light, temperature and when you eat affect your circadian rhythm as well. These are known as zeitgebers, external cues that impact your internal clock.

“So the sun is a zeitgeber,” says Dr. Roth. “Our school schedule, our work schedule, when we exercise, those are all zeitgebers. We can do things to change our circadian rhythm by what we expose ourselves to.”

How to reset your circadian rhythm

“Resetting your circadian rhythm really means resetting the timing of when you sleep and when you wake up,” says Dr. Roth. “It has to do more with the schedule of your sleep, rather than how well you fall asleep.”

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The following tips can help reset your circadian rhythm.

Have a routine

If you’ve been going to bed at all different hours of the night, try setting up a schedule and sticking with it. Once you’ve established a routine, you’ll be able to fall asleep and wake up easier.

It’s also important to stick close to that schedule on weekends or days off.

Exercise

Overall, exercise helps with melatonin production, which can help you sleep. And working out can help your body’s other systems sync with your circadian rhythm.

But when you work out and how you feel from it is different for everyone.

“Some people exercise in the morning because it makes them feel more energetic,” says Dr. Roth. “For others, it makes them tired, so they save it for after work.”

Avoid alcohol and caffeine in the evening

Pay attention to when you have that last cup of coffee. Drinking caffeine, which is a stimulant, can keep you awake late into the evening, when you’d ideally like to be winding down.

If you’re a fan of a nightcap, reconsider drinking alcohol in the evening, too. While you may find you’re sleepy or drowsy after drinking alcohol, it can affect your circadian rhythm in the long run.

Limit screen time

If you have a habit of scrolling through social media right before bedtime, stop.

The blue light from your cellphone and tablets restricts the production of melatonin and leads to a disruption in your circadian rhythm.

Try to avoid screens 30 minutes before bedtime.

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Avoid naps

While you may love taking an afternoon nap, that hourlong (or more) snooze can harm your circadian rhythm by making it harder to fall asleep at night.

If you do need to take a nap, limit it to 30 minutes or less and aim to nap before 3 p.m.

Gradually move your bedtime

Don’t expect to fix or reset your circadian rhythm overnight. Dr. Roth recommends gradually moving your bedtime. This can be done in half-hour shifts.

For example, if you currently go to sleep at 1 a.m. and wake up at 9 a.m., focus on going to bed at 12:30 p.m. and waking up at 8:30 a.m. for a week, and then shift those times back another half-hour the following week.

Why your circadian rhythm matters

Your circadian rhythm affects all aspects of your life, says Dr. Roth.

“For example, if your sleep times are off, your hunger could be off or your eating times,” says Dr. Roth. “We often see people who are sleep deprived that their hunger changes, either goes up or down and the timing of when they get hungry can change.”

How to tell it’s time for a reset

You might need to reset your circadian rhythm if you:

• Have trouble falling asleep.
• Have trouble staying awake in the evening.
• Have trouble waking in the morning.
• Have trouble focusing on daily tasks and responsibilities.

If you’re having trouble resetting your circadian rhythm on your own, a sleep medicine specialist or a behavioral sleep medicine psychologist can help determine if you have a circadian rhythm disorder.

“A circadian rhythm disorder is when your preferred sleep schedule isn’t aligned with what you want it to be,” says Dr. Roth. “Your doctor can recognize these disorders, do an assessment of these disorders and figure out how to help treat them.”

Dr. Roth says that treatments can include changing schedules, habits and behaviors, using light therapy and adding melatonin supplements.

“Our circadian rhythms evolve over time,” says Dr. Roth. “As we age, our circadian timing gets earlier. People in their 50s, 60s and 70s may start to want go to bed earlier and wake up earlier. If you were a night owl as a teenager, you could be a morning person when you’re an older adult. ”

How and When to Reset Your Circadian Rhythm

Feeling sluggish all day, yet wired at night? You may need to reset your circadian rhythm. This is your body’s internal clock that controls when you feel sleepy and when you feel alert. 

While your circadian rhythm is always ticking away inside your body, you can get out of sync with it with an irregular sleep schedule or night shift work, for example. Luckily, you can also reset it and get your sleep schedule, energy levels, and overall health back on track. 

Below, we’ll dive into what the circadian rhythm is, when you might need to reset it, and how to reset it naturally. Plus, we’ll share how the RISE app can make resetting your circadian rhythm easy. 

Advice from a sleep scientist:

“To reset your circadian rhythm, focus on light and when you get exposed to it. Get out in sunlight as soon as you can in the morning for at least 10 minutes, prioritize getting out in daylight throughout the day, and then make your evenings and nights dark. ”

Rise Science Advisor and Co-Director of the Center for Sleep and Circadian Sciences at Stanford University Dr. Jamie Zeitzer

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What is circadian rhythm?

Can you reset your circadian rhythm?

How to reset your circadian rhythm?

When to reset your circadian rhythm?

How long does it take to reset your circadian rhythm?

What are circadian rhythm sleep disorders?

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What is Circadian Rhythm?

The RISE app can predict your circadian rhythm each day.

Your circadian rhythm is your internal biological clock. It runs on a roughly 24-hour cycle and dictates when your body wants to sleep and wake up, when your energy levels rise and fall throughout the day, when you make certain hormones, and when your body temperature and blood pressure naturally fluctuate.  

But there’s more than just one body clock at work. 

There’s a central clock — known as the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) — found in the hypothalamus of the brain. And then there are clocks in almost every tissue and organ system in your body. These are called peripheral clocks, and they can be found in places like your gut, immune system, and liver.  

The SCN is synchronized to the light-dark cycle of the outside world and it communicates this time with the peripheral clocks keeping them aligned to each other and the outside world. Together, all of these clocks tell your body when the best times are to eat, sleep, be alert, and so on. 

Your circadian rhythm follows a roughly 24-hour cycle. Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6123576/

Everyone’s circadian rhythm will look roughly the same, but the timing will be different depending on your chronotype. Your chronotype is whether you’re an early bird, night owl, or something in between. Morning people have earlier circadian rhythms, whereas night owls’ rhythms run later. 

Not sure what you are? We’ve covered how to find out your chronotype here.

Your circadian rhythm also changes with age. Teenagers’ circadian rhythms tend to skew later, while older adults’ rhythms tend to skew earlier. So, we naturally become more of an earlier riser as we age — and your teen’s tendency to lay in isn’t laziness.  

RISE can predict your circadian rhythm each day and show you a simple visualization of it in the app. You can then see when your body naturally wants to wake up and go to sleep, and when your peaks and dips in energy will most likely be throughout the day.

Finding out the timings of daily energy peaks and dips is the most popular feature among RISE users.

RISE users on iOS 1.202 and above can click here to see their circadian rhythm on the Energy screen.

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Can You Reset Your Circadian Rhythm?

Yes, you can reset your circadian rhythm. Resetting your circadian rhythm simply means resetting when your body naturally wants to go to sleep up and wake up. 

The timing of your circadian rhythm can be changed by zeitgebers, which is German for time-givers. Zeitgebers tell your circadian rhythm what time it is outside your body. 

They can either reinforce the timing of your circadian rhythm (i.e. confirm it’s running on time) or shift the timing earlier or later in the 24-hour cycle. 

Zeitgebers include: 

• Light (the most powerful one) 
• Eating 
• Exercising 

One illuminating study took participants camping for a week and exposed them to natural light only. Without laptop or smartphone screens or artificial light, their circadian clocks adjusted to match the light-dark cycle of the outside world. 

What’s even more impressive is that night owls showed the biggest changes. Their circadian rhythms shifted to look more like those of early birds. So, while night owls do exist, some extreme night owls may be that way because of bad habits like late-night light exposure.  

We turned to sleep researcher Dr. Jamie Zeitzer again for backup. 

“Your circadian rhythm isn’t set in stone. You can change the timing of it with cues like light exposure. For example, early morning light brings your circadian rhythm forward, whereas late-night light exposure pushes it back.” 

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How to Reset Your Circadian Rhythm?

The RISE app can guide you through 20+ sleep hygiene habits daily.

Now you know what your circadian rhythm is and that it’s possible to reset it, here’s how to get it back on track: 

• Shift your bedtime and wake times gradually: Move your sleep-wake times by 15 to 30 minutes every few days. This will give your circadian rhythm a chance to adjust to the gradual changes. Once you’ve reached your ideal schedule, be consistent with your sleep routine. 
• Shift your meal times: Shift meal times in the same direction as your sleep patterns and by the same amount. Avoid eating two to three hours before bed as this can disrupt your sleep, making it harder to stick to your new schedule. Consistency with meal times can also help keep your circadian rhythm in check once you’ve reset it. 
• Get bright light first thing: This resets your circadian rhythm for the day. Aim for at least 10 minutes of sunlight, or 15 to 20 minutes if it’s overcast or you’re getting light through a window. Once you’ve shifted your schedule, be consistent with when you get this early light. 
• Consider bright light therapy: This can help those with a circadian rhythm sleep disorder. A sleep specialist can prescribe bright light therapy to shift your circadian rhythm. As a DIY option, you can try a 10,000 lux light therapy lamp, which is useful if it’s dark out when you wake up. Sit about 16 to 24 inches from a lamp for 30 minutes in the morning. Slowly shift the time you get this light earlier as you shift your wake times. 
• Get daylight during the day: The more light you get during the day, especially daylight, the less sensitive you’ll be to light at night, and so the less evening light can disrupt your circadian rhythm.  
• Avoid light in the evenings: Light suppresses your sleep hormone melatonin and, when you get it in the evening, it pushes back your circadian rhythm. About 90 minutes before bed, dim the lights and put on blue-light blocking glasses. 
• Create a morning routine you look forward to: Getting up earlier can be hard. Plan morning activities you enjoy and activities that can wake you up faster. This could include having a cup of coffee, going for a run or walk, or doing yoga. Even if you’re usually a night owl, try scheduling your most challenging tasks for the day in the morning. This will help the earlier schedule stick. 
• Exercise during the day: A 2019 study found early morning or during the day exercise can help shift your circadian rhythm earlier. Just be sure to avoid intense workouts within an hour of bedtime as this can keep you up.
• Avoid caffeine and alcohol too late in the day: Both caffeine and alcohol can disrupt your sleep, which can mess with your circadian rhythm. Avoid caffeine about 12 hours before bed and alcohol three to four hours before bed. RISE can tell you exactly when to avoid each one daily. 
• Take a melatonin supplement: We don’t encourage taking melatonin every night, but it can be useful when you’re trying to make a big change to your sleep schedule. Taken at the right time, melatonin can help you feel sleepy when you usually wouldn’t and either bring forward or push back your circadian rhythm. We’ve covered more on when to take melatonin here.
• Use the RISE app: Pick a goal wake time with RISE’s smart schedule feature. The app will then give you a smart bedtime goal each night that gently shifts and trains your body to get the sleep you need on an earlier schedule. 

Beyond these key steps, it’s important to maintain good sleep hygiene. Sleep hygiene is the set of habits you can do to get a good night’s sleep. With good sleep hygiene, you’ll have an easier time falling asleep at your desired bedtime, keeping your circadian rhythm on track.  

Many of the habits above are a part of good sleep hygiene, such as getting light in the morning, and avoiding light, caffeine, intense exercise, and alcohol too close to bedtime. 

RISE can walk you through 20+ sleep hygiene habits each day and tell you the best time to do each one to make them more effective. 

Heads-up: It’s tempting to pull an all-nighter to fix your sleep schedule. But this won’t help. It’ll only give you more sleep deprivation, make you feel more sleepy, and further disrupt your circadian rhythm. Skip the all-nighter and focus on shifting your sleep-wake cycle in 15-to-30-increments instead. 

RISE users on iOS 1.202 and above can click here to set up their 20+ in-app habit notifications.

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When to Reset Your Circadian Rhythm?

The RISE app can work out how much sleep debt you have.

You might want to reset your circadian rhythm if: 

• You feel sleepiness throughout the day
• You struggle to sleep at night
• Your sleep-wake times don’t match your lifestyle 

Sleep problems and low energy are the most obvious reasons to reset your circadian rhythm. But being in circadian alignment (when your sleep-wake times and mealtimes match when your body wants to sleep and eat) isn’t just good news for your sleep and energy. 

Being in sync lowers your risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. And research from 2023 found a disrupted circadian rhythm from mis-timed light exposure and food consumption can mess up your hormones and metabolism. 

Being in sync with your circadian rhythm can also make keeping your sleep debt low easier. Sleep debt is how much sleep you’ve missed out on recently. It’s compared against your sleep need, the genetically determined amount of sleep you need. 

Low sleep debt equals better energy, productivity, mood, and health (we recommend keeping your sleep debt below 5 hours to feel and function your best).  

Heads-up: We all have different sleep needs. When we looked at the sleep needs of 1.95 million RISE users aged 24 and up, we found they ranged from five hours to 11 hours 30 minutes. The median sleep need was eight hours, but 48% of users need eight hours of sleep or more.

You might be out of sync with your circadian rhythm if: 

• You work night shifts or rotating shifts 
• You’ve got social jet lag — or an irregular sleep schedule 
• You’re living at odds with your chronotype — like when a night owl needs to wake up early for work 
• You’re adjusting to a new time zone 

For more tips on how to reset your circadian rhythm, we’ve covered advice for specific situations, including: 

• How to get over jet lag 
• How to become a morning person (or shift your circadian rhythm earlier) 
• How to adjust to daylight saving time 
• How to reset your sleep schedule (including tips for shift workers) 

RISE can work out your individual sleep need and whether you’ve got any sleep debt. 

RISE users on iOS 1.202 and above can click here to view their sleep need and here to view their sleep debt.

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How Long Does it Take to Reset Your Circadian Rhythm?

Your circadian rhythm resets every 24 hours. But if you’re trying to shift the timing of it, it may take longer. 

How long it takes to shift the timing of your circadian rhythm will all depend on how much you’re trying to shift it by. We recommend moving your sleep-wake times by no more than 15 to 30 minutes every few days until you reach your ideal schedule. 

It may take a few days or weeks for your body to fully adjust. But shifting your circadian rhythm gradually will give you the best chance of sticking to your new schedule, without sacrificing sleep or daytime energy. 

In a rush and want to reset your sleep schedule overnight? Focus on sleep hygiene habits. These habits will give you the best chance of falling asleep when your body naturally wants to.  

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What Are Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders?

Circadian rhythm sleep disorders are disorders that affect your circadian rhythm, and therefore the timing of your sleep.  

They include: 

• Delayed sleep-wake phase disorder: When your sleep is abnormally late compared to the light-dark cycle.
• Advanced sleep-wake phase disorder: When your sleep is abnormally early compared to the light-dark cycle.
• Shift work sleep disorder: When you work shifts and feel sleepy at work and alert when you need to sleep. 
• Jet lag disorder: When you travel to a different time zone and your body takes a while to adjust to the new timing. 
• Irregular sleep-wake rhythm disorder: When your sleep schedule doesn’t have a pattern and you take several naps over a 24-hour period. This disorder is often seen in older individuals and those with Alzheimer’s or a brain injury. 

The best way to fix a circadian rhythm sleep disorder is to speak to your doctor or a sleep specialist. They’ll be able to recommend lifestyle changes, like improving your sleep hygiene, and treatments, like light therapy and melatonin.  

Reset Your Circadian Rhythm with RISE 

If you’re suffering from low daytime energy and trouble sleeping, it may be time to reset your circadian rhythm. Shift your sleep-wake times gradually, get light early in the morning and during the day, and then avoid it before bed. 

Tuning into your circadian rhythm isn’t exactly second nature — and this is where the RISE app can help. 

RISE predicts the timing of your circadian rhythm based on algorithms, your recent sleep times, and your inferred light exposure. The app will then show you a visualization of what your circadian rhythm looks like, so you can sync up your daily life to it and work to shift it earlier or later, depending on your lifestyle and work schedule. 

To help make that happen, RISE can tell you when to do 20+ sleep habits. These sleep hygiene habits will give you the best chance of meeting your sleep need with natural healthy sleep and staying in sync with your circadian rhythm. 

Resetting your circadian rhythm is a gradual process, but each small step you take to sync up and get more sleep can have big benefits. In fact, 80% of RISE users feel more energy within five days.

what it is and how to get enough sleep

We are controlled by circadian rhythms. This biological clock affects how we sleep, expend energy, and digest food. Let’s figure out how to make friends with them.

Our sleep schedule and activity schedule, and well-being in general, are subject to daily cycles. Therefore, sometimes, no matter what we do, it can be difficult to get ready for work in the afternoon or force ourselves to go to the gym in the morning.

In this article, we will figure out how to make friends with your biological clock in order to use it to your advantage.

Contents

• 1. What are circadian rhythms
• 2. How Our Internal Clock Works
• 3. How circadian rhythms affect our health
• 4. Why it is dangerous to disrupt circadian rhythms
• 5. How to reset your internal clock
• 6. Note

What are circadian rhythms

Circadian rhythms are the human biological clock. They set the rhythm for all vital processes in the body. The body clock is determined by genes that start and stop metabolic processes, such as storing energy or releasing hormones.

24 hours

how long does one biological clock cycle last on average

About 20% of all our genes are “turned on” and “off” during one complete cycle.

The main mechanism of the biological clock is the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus. This part of the brain is responsible for the response to stress, sexual behavior, coordination of actions and other important functions.

This nucleus receives information from light-sensitive cells of the retina and other receptors and based on it synchronizes the work of biorhythms .

Approximately so biological processes follow each other during the day

Also, the suprachiasmatic nucleus informs the pineal gland and endocrine gland when it is time to produce the sleep hormone melatonin.

Melatonin concentration increases in the evening, peaks at night and decreases during the day.

A with another important hormone, cortisol , the reverse story.

Photo by Jamie Street / Unsplash

Its concentration rises in the morning, when we need to be alert, and decreases in the evening, when we start to feel sleepy.

How our internal clock works

The genes responsible for the operation of the 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. 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 daylight hours are in full swing. Red and green light also negatively affect the course of 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.

Human circadian rhythms are not a separate organ, they cannot be seen or felt. But they are necessary for health and normal life – and persist even in many blind people.

Photo by Max van den Oetelaar / Unsplash

If you watch TV shows at night, eat late and heavy dinners, work the night shift and go to bed at dawn, the coordinated work of genes and circadian rhythms is disrupted. Some metabolic processes start later than usual, while others stop altogether.

How Circadian Rhythms Affect Our Health

Night shifts can increase your risk of cancer – disrupted circadian rhythms make it harder for the body to prevent tumor formation.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer has even classified shift work as a carcinogen.

Working with a constant night schedule rather than a hopping schedule may be less dangerous in this regard.

Photo by Kartabya Aryal / Unsplash

Scientists have linked circadian rhythm disturbances to serious but preventable diseases: type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, stroke and cancer.

To understand how these diseases develop, we need to look at what happens when we break our sleep hygiene.

• How circadian rhythms affect digestion

The gastrointestinal tract produces the most enzymes, gastric juice and related substances in the first half of the day.

Therefore, it is advisable to have a hearty breakfast, but have a light supper.

Also in the morning the peristalsis works most actively. If you eat heavily at night and wake up late, the risk of constipation, colic, bloating and indigestion increases, because the digestion process slows down.

Taking care of your digestive health is easier with the Atlas Microbiota Test. You will learn how diverse the composition of the bacteria in your intestines, whether there are enough beneficial bacteria, and how the microflora protects you from diseases. How circadian rhythms affect the brain

Photo by Konstantine Trundayev / Unsplash

This fluid removes metabolic products, including toxic compounds that impair memory function. Also, during sleep, myelin sheaths are actively restored – they are needed to transmit signals between neurons.

Sleep phase disruption interrupts these important processes.

As a result, we wake up tired, lethargic and not ready for serious intellectual work.

If you constantly ignore your biological rhythms, this can lead to neuropsychiatric disorders.

• How circadian rhythms affect disease risk

Insomnia, lack of sleep and poor sleep quality lead to hypertension and insulin resistance, which increases blood glucose levels. These symptoms signal metabolic disorders and diseases of the cardiovascular system.

Studies show that people who work night shifts are more likely to suffer from obesity, type 2 diabetes and hypertension.

The risk of developing these diseases is also increased in people with disturbed circadian rhythms.

Why disrupting circadian rhythms is dangerous

Poor sleep quality brings other, less obvious problems. A sleepy person easily gains weight and hardly loses it.

He crave sweets and junk food more often than healthy food, because the body tries to compensate for the lack of energy with cravings for simple carbohydrates.

Also, if jet lag becomes more difficult to fall asleep and wake up, addiction to caffeine develops.

Photo by Nathan Dumlao / Unsplash

I want to sleep as long as possible, but sleep stops replenishing my strength.

The risk of depression increases, there are mood swings during the day and bursts of negative emotions. And the body becomes more vulnerable to diseases and infections.

How to reset your internal clock

The good news is that a broken body clock can be repaired.

Together with the correct daily routine, you will return to productivity and healthy sleep. Restoring your circadian rhythms and daily routine doesn’t mean going to bed right after sunset, especially if you’re a night owl.

The main thing is to avoid artificial light and fall asleep during the time period when melatonin is produced, that is, from 12 am to 4 am.

Avoiding gadgets an hour or two before bed will help you fall asleep easier. Also in the evening it is worth turning on lamps with warm dimmed light instead of bright fluorescent lamps. To restore the sleep pattern, you need to go to bed every day at about the same time, even if it is a day off.

If you often feel tired and distracted during the day and do not sleep well, you may have thrown off your biological clock. Here’s what will help bring everything back to normal:

• If you really need to check social networks before going to bed or watch a movie on your tablet, turn on the night mode – with it, the backlight becomes yellowish and less bright.
• Switch from visual content to audio before bed: listen to podcasts and audio books.
• Avoid alcohol in the late evening – it impairs the quality of sleep.
• Go to bed slightly hungry.
• Buy heavy, light-blocking curtains and open them as soon as you wake up.
• In the afternoon, choose decaffeinated drinks.
• Use ear plugs and a sleep mask if outside noises or street lights interrupt your sleep.

Genetics can also influence sleep patterns: for example, insomnia can be inherited. To identify the genetic predisposition to insomnia and the characteristics of caffeine metabolism, you can use the Atlas Genetic Test.

More interesting articles about sleep on the Atlas blog:

• Sleep, diet, and giving up your smartphone: habits that will make you happier
• Night work: dangers and health benefits
• Sleep and microbiota: how appetite and digestion are related to sleep quality

• Sachin Panda, The Circadian Code
• Koch C. E. et al., Interaction between Circadian Rhythm and Stress 2017
• S. Panda et al., Coordinated Transcription of Key Pathways in the Mouse by the Circadian Clock
• Blue light has a dark side
• Circadian rhythms fact sheet
• Thomas C. Erren et al., Shift Work and Cancer 2010
• Bennett J.E. et al. (2018). NCD Countdown 2030: worldwide trends in non-communicable disease mortality and progress towards Sustainable Development Goal target 3.4
• NHS Prevalence, Achievements and Exceptions workbooks 2016
• The role of sleep and wakefulness in myelin plasticity
• Night shift work, short sleep and obesity

Circadian rhythm disorders. What is Circadian Rhythm Disorders?

IMPORTANT
The information in this section should not be used for self-diagnosis or self-treatment. In case of pain or other exacerbation of the disease, only the attending physician should prescribe diagnostic tests. For diagnosis and proper treatment, you should contact your doctor.

Circadian rhythm disorders are a type of insomnia in which there is a mismatch between the internal sleep-wake cycle and the external day-night cycle. The condition develops when changing time zones (jet lag), shift and shift work schedule, neurological diseases. Disorders of circadian rhythms cause psycho-emotional disorders, reduce performance, increase the risk of endocrine and cardiological problems. Diagnosis includes a detailed history taking, polysomnography, and neuroimaging. Drugs (melatonin, sleeping pills), non-drug correction of the rest regimen are used for treatment.

ICD-10

G47.2 Disorders of sleep and wake cycles

• Causes
• Pathogenesis
• Symptoms
  • Jet lag
  • Insomnia during shift work
  • Sleep phasing disorder
• Complications
• Diagnostics
• Treatment of circadian rhythm disorders
• Prognosis and prevention
• Prices for treatment

General information

Disruptions in physiological circadian rhythms are one of the most common problems in modern neurology, with various manifestations of which every person periodically encounters. The condition is of great relevance due to the lack of effective medical methods of correction, a pronounced negative impact on the well-being and somatic health of patients. Despite improvements in treatment, many people continue to suffer from circadian sleep disorders.

Circadian Rhythm Disorders

Causes

Changes in sleep cycles may have physiological prerequisites: in adolescence, falling asleep is usually delayed, which does not match the prescribed norms, while in old age, on the contrary, people go to bed too early and then wake up in the middle of the night and can no longer fall asleep. The pathological causes of circadian biorhythm disorders include the following:

• Features of the work schedule. People who work in shifts (day/night), on a daily basis or on a rotational basis are more likely to encounter problems with somnological disorders. Pathology is caused by the inability of the body to adapt to different times of falling asleep and waking up, frequent episodes of rest in the daytime in bright light.
• Frequent travel. The change of time zones negatively affects the coordination of endogenous and external biorhythms. As a result, insomnia develops in the first few days. The situation is exacerbated by regular business trips with a time shift of more than 2 hours.
• Neurodegenerative diseases. Since circadian rhythms are regulated by the central nervous system, persistent changes in sleep-wake cycles are often formed in its pathology. Typical causes: Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s chorea.
• Blindness. People who are blind from birth are most likely to suffer from sleep disorders because they are unable to detect external circadian rhythms. In such patients, their own internal biorhythms are not consistent with the generally accepted 24-hour system.

Pathogenesis

The regulation of human internal circadian rhythms is subject to a complex molecular mechanism that includes 9 main “clock” regulator genes. They contribute to the production of transcription factors, the activation of casein kinases, cryptochrome proteins responsible for capturing the level of illumination. An important role is played by genes that stimulate the production of melatonin and contribute to the realization of the effects of the hormone.

Normally, all substances work together, maintaining the circadian cycle, which is regulated by feedback. But with a sharp change in external daily rhythms (time zones), constant exposure to lighting at night (shift work, non-compliance with sleep hygiene), natural circadian rhythms are desynchronized. In the brain, the production of melatonin decreases, functional pathologies of the central nervous system occur.

Symptoms

Circadian rhythm disorders have similar clinical features: insomnia at night, pathological daytime sleepiness, impaired performance and concentration associated with sleep deprivation. As a rule, there are headaches, causeless mood swings, many patients are worried about unexplained anxiety, nervousness. Sometimes there are digestive disorders, interruptions in the work of the heart.

Jet lag

The symptom complex is most clearly manifested in jetlag (a sharp change in time zones). Disorders of circadian rhythms disturb a person from 2-3 days to several weeks. The greater the difference in time between the starting point and the place of the current stay, the more pronounced the signs. Trips to the east with the transfer of falling asleep to an earlier time are more difficult to endure, while the body adapts to traveling to the west rather quickly.

Shift work insomnia

In this case, the intensity of the symptoms of jet lag depends on the number of work shifts per month, their duration, and the rotation schedule. The most severe manifestations are noted in non-fixed work with a chaotic alternation of shifts and counterclockwise rotation. In addition, often patients deliberately sleep less in order to spend time with their families and participate in social life.

Sleep phasing disorder

This type of disturbance is characterized by a normal quality of night rest combined with a discrepancy between the physiological schedule and the desired daily routine. Young people mostly have a delayed onset of the sleep phase, which is why they go to bed late at night, and then hardly wake up in the morning to study or work. The elderly, on the contrary, suffer from an advanced phase, waking up too early.

Usually, there is no difficulty in falling asleep at “one’s own rhythm”, which distinguishes the condition from typical insomnia. The main problem of sleep phase disorders is the need to adapt to the generally accepted routine, as a result of which patients experience a constant lack of rest, during working hours they suffer from problems with thinking, memory, and concentration.

Complications

With prolonged disruption of circadian rhythms, the content of leptin (the hormone of satiety) decreases by 7-10%, and the rate of ghrelin (the hormone of hunger) increases. This is fraught with overeating, obesity, to which women are more susceptible due to metabolic characteristics. Chronic lack of sleep reduces the immune defense of the body, increases the risk of developing diabetes, cardiovascular disease.

Another danger of circadian disorders is that people with this problem often do not seek medical help, trying to cope with the situation on their own. Patients resort to alcohol, sleeping pills, and sedatives to help them fall asleep, and take psychostimulants during the day to improve their performance. As a result, the pathology is exacerbated by dependence on psychoactive substances.

Diagnosis

The main step in the diagnosis of biorhythm desynchronization is a detailed questioning of the insomniac: collecting complaints, information about professional activities, and the frequency of travel. Several doctors are often involved in the examination – neurologists, psychiatrists, somnologists, specialized specialists in somatic diseases. The diagnostic plan includes:

• Polysomnography. The study is used for a comprehensive study of various sleep parameters, identifying the root cause of insomnia, excluding dangerous diseases (obstructive sleep apnea, sleep paralysis, narcolepsy).
• MRI of the brain. Neuroimaging is prescribed for suspected organic lesions of the cerebral cortex or subcortical nuclei. MRI is an important diagnostic tool for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
• Psychiatric consultation. Disorders of circadian rhythms can occur against the background of neurosis, depression, psychopathy, so the patient definitely needs a profile examination, passing special tests and questionnaires.

Treatment of circadian rhythm disorders

Therapy of circadian rhythm disorders is a complex task. The best option to deal with the problem is to eliminate the precipitating factor, if possible (move to a position with a standard working day, limit long-haul flights). However, in most cases, radical measures are not suitable for patients, or the trigger cannot be completely eliminated. In such a situation, several directions of treatment are used:

• Compliance with the rules of healthy sleep. This item is especially important for people who work in shifts and are forced to sleep during the day. It is necessary to ensure the maximum darkening of the room, protect yourself from harsh sounds, explain to family members in advance, ask them to treat the situation with understanding.
• Advance preparation for the flight. To minimize the manifestations of jet lag, it is recommended to start shifting the time to fall asleep in advance in order to adapt the mode to the intended travel destination. For convenience, there are special sites that help to shift the sleep-wake schedule correctly, without harm to health.
• Taking melatonin. The hormonal drug has a physiological effect on endogenous rhythms, helps to fall asleep faster, improves the quality of sleep. Taking into account the type of insomnia, an individual schedule for taking the medication is selected at least 1-1.5 hours before the desired moment of falling asleep.

According to indications, other medications (hypnotics, psychostimulants, adaptogens) can be prescribed. In each case, a personalized regimen of drug use is selected in order to eliminate negative symptoms and at the same time not aggravate circadian disorders. Dosages and medication schedules are carefully monitored by a neurologist.

Prognosis and prevention

Circadian disorders are quite difficult to treat, however, with an integrated approach, a combination of drugs and non-drug methods, it is possible to synchronize biorhythms. A less favorable prognosis for patients with neurodegenerative pathologies that are not subject to correction. Prevention includes the observance of hygiene of rest, the correct organization of the labor process, regular medical examinations of people employed in shift/shift work.

You can share your medical history, what helped you in the treatment of circadian rhythm disorders.
/ I.Kh. Kashaev // International Student Scientific Bulletin. – 2018. – No. 2.

• Genetic studies of circadian rhythms of workers engaged in operator activities / A.O. Taranov, A.N. Puchkova, K.A. Lemeshko, V.B. Dorokhov // pedagogy and psychology. – 2014. – No. 4.
• Diagnosis and treatment of insomnia / O.V. Kurushina, E.A. Kurakova, S.V. Ryazantsev // Medicinal Bulletin. – 2014. – No. 2.
• Insomnia: diagnosis and correction options / M.G. Poluektov // Attending physician. – 2010. – No. 10.
• This article was prepared based on the materials of the site: https://www.krasotaimedicina.ru/

IMPORTANT
Information from this section cannot be used for self-diagnosis and self-treatment In case of pain or other exacerbation of the disease, only the attending physician should prescribe diagnostic tests. For diagnosis and proper treatment, you should contact your doctor.