Education

Circadian Rhythm

Circadian Rhythm is the natural internal process that regulates our sleep-wake cycle and repeats roughly every 24 hours. It is often referred to as the “body clock”

What is Circadian Rhythm?

In simple terms it is your body’s internal 24-hour cycle that is synchronized with the day and night patterns, it is found in most living things animals, plants, and even microbes.

In humans and other mammals, the circadian clock is located in the part of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus.

Our circadian rhythm controls many of our bodily functions beyond just sleep like hormone levels, body temperature, and digestion.

Disruptions in this cycle can lead to problems like obesity, diabetes, depression, and sleep issues.

An interesting fact about Circadian clocks is that every cell in your body has its own clock that is controlled by genes like CLOCK, BMAL1, PER, and CRY

How Circadian Rhythm Affects Your Body?

Glucose Regulation

Your internal clock is responsible for controlling the genes involved in how your body handles glucose. The gene fluctuates throughout the day, so your circadian rhythm regulates how your body processes glucose.

Pancreatic islet function

The insulin-producing cells in your pancreas like other cells have their own internal circadian clock that regulates glucose sensing, insulin production, and insulin secretion. Disrupting this pancreatic clock impairs your ability to regulate blood sugar levels.

Insulin sensitivity

Your insulin sensitivity varies throughout the day, your daily rhythm is controlled by your body’s central circadian clock and is influenced by hormones like cortisol and melatonin. When the rhythm gets disrupted, it can lead to insulin resistance.

Hormonal Imbalance

Your Circadian clock controls the genes that regualates the growth, division, and survival of the insulin-producing beta cells in your pancreas. When the pancreatic clock is disrupted, it can impair the regeneration of these beta cells and cause a decline in their numbers.

Hunger and Metabolism

Circadian Rhythm disruption can cause irregular levels of cortisol, which causes chronic stress, anxiety, and difficulty waking up in the morning. It also disrupts the release of thyroid hormones, leading to metabolic issues, fatigue, and weight changes.

Mood and Brain Function

A disrupted circadian clock can contribute to the development or worsening of mood disorders such as depression and anxiety. With cognitive function, disrupted sleep can affect memory, attention, decision-making, reaction times, mental clarity, and overall productivity.

How to Manage and Regulate Your Circadian Rhythm

Meal Timing

Environmental cues can influence your body’s internal clock, and syncing food timing to these cues can have a powerful impact on your health. Being in tune with nature and following your body’s cues for meals can help reinforce your body’s natural circadian rhythm. Studies show that adopting a consistent meal time, which is aligned with your sleep-wake cycle can improve glucose homeostasis, insulin action, and overall metabolic health.

Exercise Daily

Exercise not only regulates your central circadian clock but also rewinds and rests the peripheral clocks found in tissues throughout the body! When the whole body is synchronised it improves your metabolic and physiological coordination. It can also impact the timing and levels of hormones in your body like melatonin and cortisol that are crucial for regulating the sleep-wake cycle.

Change Your Lighting

Try and align your light exposure with the natural day-night cycle, it can help you reset and maintain a healthy sleep-wake cycle. Your eyes can detect light cycles and it transmits this information to the master circadian clock in your brain - which triggers the circadian clock to regulate the production of melatonin, your body’s natural sleep signal! To leverage this it is best to seek out bright and natural light exposure in the morning and gradually dim the lights in the evening as the sun goes down