Circadian Rhthym

Circadian Rhythm

A very important aspect of human energy involves honoring ones circadian rhythm. The human body and its systems function in tandem with the light (daylight) and darkness (nightime) cycles. First, lets give a basic definition:

Circadian Rhythm "DEFINITION" is our internal body clock. It is responsible for hormone production, causing us to get sleepy, and causing us to wake to a new morning. It keeps track of the timing of our body functions and processes. we can think of these as automatic impulses that occur at specific times of the day. We may be accustomed to getting up early in the morning and it seems we start to get sleepy at a particular time in the evening. That is our body clock at work... and it works or sets off these individual circadian rhythms. Our internal clock also regulates our metabolism and can trigger at a particular time of the day causing the impetus to feel hungry. 

OPTIMAL THERAPEUTIC RECOVERY

Because circadian rhythm is linked to the sleep cycle...and because there are many circadian rhthyms at play while we are sleeping, it is important to see the role that they play during the hours we are sleeping. Where does energy come in to all of this? Sleeptime acomplishes many things. One thing in particular is recovery. When we sleep at night our bodies heal. Also, our entire being undergoes recovery and like a battery recharges itself.

Circadian Rhythms are stimulated in two basic ways: From our internal Master Clock and from external stimulus (mainly light and darkness).

HOW DOES EXTERNAL STIMULUS WORK?

Here are two examples:

1) Light: When light appears in the morning it triggers our "wake up" mechanisms and our body clock adjusts to the daily wake up time.

2) Darkness: A part of our hypothalamus (located in the brain) controls our circadian rhythm. That said, outside factors like lightness and darkness can also impact it. When it’s dark at night, your eyes send a signal to the hypothalamus that it’s time to feel tired. Your brain, in turn, sends a signal to your body to release melatonin, which makes our body tired. That’s why your circadian rhythm tends to coincide with the cycle of daytime and nighttime.

When circadian rhythms are disrupted, sleeping and eating patterns can run amok. Also,we can throw off our sleep/wake cycle. Disrupted circadian rhthms are seen in people who can't sleep, awaken through the night too often, or conversly, sleep too long and can't get up.

To get the most therapeutic sleep and allow for complete recovery which will GREATLY effect energy, observe the following:

Before going to sleep, be sure that the room gets a dose of fresh air. Indoor stagnant air will inhibit recovery. A device such as the Stellar Dome™ will improve oxygenation.

Sleep in silence for undistracted auditory recovery. Remove all sound distractions.

Keep the room completly dark when you sleep. A slight bit of natural moonlight is okay. Remove all artificial light though (such as from electronics). The room must be dark.

Melatonin begins to be produced at about 9:00 pm. There is a very important therapeutic sleep that happens between 10:00 pm-12:00 am. It is essential to go to sleep by 10. Missing out on this will definitly effect our recovery.

It is important to get at least 5 hours of continuous non-waking sleep. Only after 5 hours of continuous sleep does our body produce adrenalin from the adrenal glands. This hormone is very important for us to feel energized when we wake up and throughout the remainder of the day. 

If you must wake before sunrise while it is still dark, then use a light therapy lamp and set it to turn on at the time you want to awaken. This will mimic solar morning activity.

Preferrably, it is healthiest to awake when the first natural sunlight appears (morning light). The birds chirp at this time (nature's alarm clock) which also communicates to our body clock and helps us to maintain a synchronized circadium rhythm. Sleeping during daylight causes internal chemical body chaos, grogginess, and upsets your body clock,  all of which are unhealthy.

Awaken at the same time every morning to keep the body clock sychronized.

Adjust your circadian rhythnm by eating breakfast as early as possible and at the same time. Try not to eat at nightime. This will synchronize your metabolism, improve digestion, and result in better energy levels. 