You must have heard this; “Correct your circadian rhythm to get a good night’s sleep.”
Do you wonder,
– What is circadian rhythm, and how is it connected with sleep quality?
– Are our modern lifestyle and increased consumption of digital content the culprit behind the increased sleeping disorders, or do genetics have a role to play here?
– How do we know our circadian rhythm and whether it needs to reset?
– Is it possible to reset our circadian rhythm? If yes, how long does it usually take?
Before we dig in to understand the science behind circadian rhythm, we must correct a few basics about sleep.
Like food, water and air, sleep is essential for survival. Everyone needs to sleep, and the quality of our sleep affects almost every system in our body. The brain, lungs, heart, metabolism, immune system, recovery from disease, etc., are hugely affected by our sleep routine, and sleep deprivation often leads to depression, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, etc.
However, there is no fixed rule about ideal sleeping hours. The number of sleeping hours and the preference of staying awake (morning lark or evening owl) varies from person to person. In a way, it solely depends on the individual.
Our circadian rhythm mainly drives it.
Let’s understand more about “circadian rhythm” and how it affects sleep quality.
Circadian word is derived from the Latin phrase “circa diem,” which means “about a day.”
Circadian rhythm refers to our internal body clock, managed by our brain, which is set for approximately 24 hours to regulate many essential functions like body temperature, releasing hormones at the right time, eating habits, digestion process, and sleep-wake cycle.
It is not only about the sleep-wake cycle but almost everything that is going on in our bodies. In a way, it is like a timetable given to our body for various procedures. And that is why precisely few people are more alert in the early mornings while few prefer to stay awake till late. Like hair and eye colour, circadian rhythm is genetically influenced, and other factors like age, daily work schedule/school schedule, social factors, lifestyle choices, etc., play a role.
How is it beneficial for us to understand about our circadian rhythm?
Our circadian rhythm dictates when we will be most alert during the day and when we will be the most productive. Morning people naturally tend to be the most productive in the mornings, and night owls are later in the evening.
For most people, circadian rhythm does not become a significant issue, but if your work schedule is opposite to your circadian rhythm, it can hamper your sleep quality. For example, if a morning person is forced to stay awake till late at night, it can hamper his/her sleep and negatively affect the body. Similarly, if a night owl is asked to sleep early, they might turn and toss in the bed and not get sleep. In this scenario, it is helpful if they shift their circadian rhythm as per their work schedule to avoid adverse effects on health.
Apart from this, all those whose work timings keep changing (night shifts/day shifts), pilots, air hostesses, doctors, security guards and travelers in different time zones get affected by their disturbed sleeping hours.
That leads to the question, “How can we reset our circadian rhythm and make our day most productive?”
Since circadian rhythm is genetically influenced, we cannot completely change our internal body clock overnight, but we can slowly shift the same to adjust to our work schedules. The following factors can help reset our circadian rhythm.
- Exposure to sunlight: The human body remains in sync with the exposure to light. Spending time in natural light and reducing exposure to artificial bright lights or blue lights emitting from the screen (mobile/TV) later in the evening helps reset the circadian rhythm. Exposure to daylight quickly allows the body to reset with the new time zone.
- Food: Illinois and New Mexico researchers have studied light and food’s impact on the circadian rhythm. It was noticed that eating more food earlier in the day helps the body to recover faster from changing time zones. Similarly, eating large meals containing carbs, alcohol, and caffeine is not advisable later in the evening. Such food will alert our body and can hamper sleep.
- Exercise: Plenty of research confirms that exercise helps us sleep better. Exercise routine, especially in the early morning, will help the body get tuned with the day faster. Exercise makes you feel energetic throughout the day and helps the body sleep better at night.
Apart from physical exercise, mental exercise also helps sleep better at night. In a study by Loughborough University, UK, people’s sleep improved on days they took a sightseeing tour and experienced new and stimulating environments. Engaging with new sights and sounds helps tire your grey matter, and one should sleep better at night.
- Avoid taking long naps in the afternoon: People who have not slept well in the night keep on nodding off for a short time throughout the day or often prefer to take long naps in the afternoon time to feel fresh. However, this further disturbs the circadian rhythm. They find it challenging to sleep properly at night and wake up fresh in the morning. This circle continues, and it is advisable to break the chain to come out of it and to correct the sleep pattern. If you feel tired, a quick power nap of 20 minutes helps, but avoid taking long naps.
- Sleep routine:The sleep-wake cycle mainly works on a messaging system. A calming bedtime routine often helps get quality sleep. Going easy later in the evening, relaxing the mind with journaling or meditation, reducing exposure to bright lights, taking a shower to cool down the body, switching off mobile/TV at least 2 hours before bedtime, soothing drinks such as chamomile tea and sleeping in a dark room helps immensely to sleep better.
We keep hearing the benefits of a good night’s sleep as sleep deprivation or sleep-related disorders are increasing rapidly.
Will adjusting our bodies in tune with our work schedule be worthwhile to avoid falling into sleep disorders?
What’s your view?