Here’s
to your health
Don’t
fight your circadian clock
Do
you go through your day keeping an eye on the clock to
be sure
you’re not late for work, school or an appointment?
Or about to miss your favorite TV show? Well, your body has
its own internal clock that helps you feel alert at work,
hungry at mealtimes, and drowsy at night. And when your internal
clock is out of whack, your health can suffer.
The
human body has daily rhythms called “circadian
rhythms”. (Circadian is Latin for “around a day.”)
The brain’s “master clock” usually operates
on a 24-hour cycle. It adjusts to several cues in your surroundings,
the most important of which is light and darkness.
The
brain’s clock affects various body functions,
including body temperature, hormone levels, urine production
and blood pressure. When it’s light out, the master
clock sends signals out to other brain regions to make hormones
that will help keep you awake, boost your heart rate, and
give you energy. At night, when less light enters your eyes,
the master clock triggers production of the hormone called
melatonin. It’s job is to make you feel drowsy and
to help you stay asleep.
When you fight against your circadian clock and your activities
take you out of sync with day and night, your health may
suffer. The schedules of shift workers who must be on the
job after the sun goes down are at odds with their biological
clocks. These people often find themselves sleepy at work.
They may also have trouble falling or staying asleep during
daylight hours after work. Studies show that shift workers
have increased risk for heart disease, digestive disturbances,
cancer and other health problems.
In
recent years, researchers have discovered that circadian
activities
are far more complicated than they’d ever
expected. Inside our cells, clock genes and proteins keep
each cell running on a near-24-hour schedule. Dr. Martha
Gillette, a University of Illinois scientist tells us that “Every
single cell that we’ve looked at in the body has a
clock inside of it. Cellular timekeeping is a molecular dance,
and it’s very complicated.”
Here
are some things you can do to keep your master clock on
track: (1) Stick to a regular sleeping schedule. (2) Avoid
caffeine and cigarettes late in the day. (3) Don’t
drink alcohol to help you sleep. (4) Get rid of light and
sound distractions in your bedroom. (5) Don’t exercise
within 2 hours of bedtime as this may delay the release of
melatonin.
Research continues into what makes our biological clocks
tick. What they learn may lead to new treatments for sleep
disorders and other health problems.
(From National Institute of Health)
For
a circadian rhythm fact sheet and for information on why
your teen may be so tired, go to Links.
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