Circadian Rhythms and Why Your Sleep Health Matters

If you’ve just returned from an international flight or are tired from drastic changes in your work schedule, your body and mind may have difficulty catching up. When you have persistent drowsiness, digestive issues, and other symptoms, the problem could be with your circadian rhythm. We’ll explain the importance of your circadian rhythm and what you can do to improve your sleep and get reenergized and focused.

The Importance of Sleep

Sleep experts generally agree you need 7-9 hours of slumber each night to maintain good health. However, having a full-time job, a hectic schedule, and a family to care for makes this amount seem like a pipe dream. No wonder one in three adult and teenage Americans get insufficient sleep, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Unless you get those recommended seven to nine hours each night, you’re more likely to develop health problems like heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and kidney disease. If you continually fall short of healthy sleep goals, depression, anxiety, and atypical cognitive decline could be in your future. A significant step you can take to restore healthful sleep is to pay attention to your circadian rhythm.

Circadian Rhythms

Each human, animal, and plant on earth has a circadian rhythm. This phenomenon refers to the physical and mental changes you go through within a 24-hour cycle. In other words, it’s your internal clock. Natural sunlight and the daily shifts to night influence our circadian rhythms, but so do physical activity, diet, temperature, and social environments.

Circadian rhythms are essential to our physical and mental functioning. They help regulate our temperatures, sleep patterns, food digestion timing, appetite, and hormone production, which provides much-needed energy boosts.

Disruptions to Circadian Rhythms

Our circadian rhythms can fall out of step for several reasons:

• Poor sleep habits
• Looking at screens on smartphones and tablets right before bed
• Mental health issues
• Traveling between time zones
• Irregular work schedules and overnight shifts
• Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive conditions causing poor sleep
• Genes that disrupt protein production, which contributes to circadian rhythm control

Short-term disruptions to the circadian rhythm can contribute to daytime drowsiness, difficulties focusing and paying attention, and even memory loss. You might also experience hormone changes, body temperature fluctuations, digestive problems, and slow wound healing. Over the long term, circadian rhythm interruptions may lead to more serious issues, such as high blood pressure, mood problems, diabetes, obesity, and even cancer.

Ways to Get Your Body and Mind Back in Sync

Taking sleep pills at night or energy drinks during the day may be quick fixes, but any Cincinnati integrative doctor will tell you those strategies are just temporary bandages. The key to a consistent circadian rhythm is allowing your body to follow a healthy 24-hour schedule. If you’re currently out of sync, here are ways to get back on schedule:

• Go outside when the sun is out and allow your body to soak it up. This will help you feel more awake when you need to be.
• If you don’t get much sunlight where you live, try light therapy, particularly in the morning.
• Develop a daily routine and maintain it consistently.
• Before bed, ditch the screens and instead opt for a book or relaxing music.
• Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco close to bedtime or altogether.
• Allow yourself a 10- or 20-minute nap in the afternoon if you get tired.
• Get some exercise every day.
• Create a cozy environment in your bedroom with soft lighting, a comfortable temperature, and a supportive mattress.

Resetting Your Body’s Natural Rhythm.

If you can’t get enough sleep or feel drowsy when you shouldn’t, Blatman Health and Wellness Center can help you regain your physical and mental balance. We can recommend supplements, dietary changes, and other whole-body strategies to recalibrate your circadian rhythm. You can also try a local vitamin C IV treatment to support a weakened immune system caused by lack of sleep. Call our office today or complete our online contact form to get started.