What is circadian rhythm and what should we know about it .

The circadian cycle, is a natural, internal process that regulates the sleep–wake cycle and repeats roughly every 24 hours. It can refer to any process that originates within an organism and responds to the environment. These natural processes respond primarily to light and dark and affect most living things, including animals, plants, and microbes.

Confused ? Let me explain this whole idea in a more simplified manner. Its the 24 hour clock in our body which is synced to the cycle of nature . Based on the sun's movement , our body functions optimally doing certain activities at its best at certain points of the day . Many schools of nutrition from Ayurveda and the CR diet follow a lifestyle plan based on this philosophy .

The natural factors in your body produce circadian rhythms. For humans, some of the most important genes in this process are the Period and Cryptochrome genes. These genes code for proteins that build up in the cell’s nucleus at night and lessen during the day. Studies in fruit flies suggest that these proteins help activate feelings of wakefulness, alertness, and sleepiness. However, signals from the environment also affect circadian rhythms. For instance, exposure to light at a different time of day can reset when the body turns on Period and Cryptochrome genes.

Circadian rhythms can influence important functions in our bodies, such as:

• Hormone release

• Eating habits and digestion

• Body temperature

However, most people notice the effect of circadian rhythms on their sleep patterns. The SCN controls the production of melatonin, a hormone that makes you sleepy. It receives information about incoming light from the optic nerves, which relay information from the eyes to the brain. When there is less light—for example, at night—the SCN tells the brain to make more melatonin so you get drowsy.

Why are we all talking about it ?

With the advancement in science and technology , we are often going against the Circadian rhythm. The blue light from our television and laptop screens have the same effect as daylight, the frequent travel across time-zones totally changes our inner body rhythm and working the night shift and the late night dinners means our body is working on digesting food way past sleep time.This is leading to a lot of lifestyle disorders and us humans not functioning our best.

If you feel that the circadian rhythm is disrupting your life and would like to understand more about it schedule a consultation with me and I would be happy to guide you .

Info edited and sourced from : https://nigms.nih.gov