Do you sometimes have trouble falling asleep at night? Or do you have a hard time waking up in the morning? Some of us, like "Early Birds", wake up early in the morning and start working. But others, like "Night Owls", like to stay up late and sleep until morning. Why is this happening? The scientific reason behind all this is the natural clock inside our body. In medicine, we call this
biological rhythms . Today, we will talk about this very simply and in a friendly way.
What exactly is biorhythm?
Simply put, circadian rhythms are a series of biological processes controlled by your body's internal clock. Just like the clock on the wall in your house tells the time, this body clock tells your body when to sleep, when to wake up, when to exercise, and when to rest. You've probably heard the term
circadian rhythm . Often, the terms circadian rhythm and circadian rhythm are used interchangeably. Circadian rhythms are the most well-known circadian rhythms, which have a 24-hour cycle. This means that things like our sleep, body temperature, and
hormone activity are controlled according to this 24-hour cycle.
How does this body clock work?
This is a very amazing process. There is a very small, but very powerful place in our brain called
the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus - SCN . Think of it as the master clock of our body clock. This SCN is located in the hypothalamus of the brain. The main signal to this SCN comes from our eyes, that is,
from light . When the sun rises in the morning, the SCN sends a signal saying "It is daytime, it is time to wake up and work." Then our body becomes active. When it gets dark at night, the SCN tells our brain to produce a hormone called
melatonin , which helps us sleep. This melatonin is what makes us sleepy at night. Not only light, but also the way we exercise, what we eat and drink, and some medications we take can affect this body clock.
Imagine, in experiments conducted by scientists, people were put in rooms with no sunlight and no way to tell the time. Surprisingly, even in such an environment, this internal clock in our body has maintained the 24-hour cycle without much change for days. That's how powerful it is.
Several types of biorhythms
Our body doesn't just have a 24-hour rhythm. There are several types of biological rhythms, classified according to time.
| Rhythm Name | Duration | A simple explanation |
|---|
| Diurnal | Day/night cycle | Activities based on light and darkness. |
| Circadian | About 24 hours | The main rhythm that controls our sleep and wakefulness. |
| Ultradian | Less than 24 hours | For example, this includes the different sleep stages that occur during our sleep. |
| Infradian | About a month | A good example is the monthly menstrual cycle in women. |
| Circannual | About a year | Annual cycles, such as hibernation in some animals. |
How do these rhythms affect our health?
The most noticeable and important rhythm we experience is the sleep-wake cycle. But these biological rhythms control many other important things in our bodies.
- Metabolism : The rate at which we digest the food we eat and create energy.
- Heart rate and blood pressure .
- Body temperature : Our body temperature varies slightly at different times of the day.
- Hormone levels: Production of hormones like growth hormone and stress-related cortisol.
- Controlling blood sugar and cholesterol levels .
- Mental health: When these rhythms are disrupted, the risk of conditions such as depression and bipolar disorder may increase.
- Immune system: The ability to resist disease.
What happens if this clock loses time?
Changes in our lifestyle, aging, and the nature of our work can disrupt this natural rhythm, which can lead to various health problems.
| Rhythm disorder | What does this mean? |
|---|
| Jet Lag Disorder | When you travel by plane to a distant country, the time difference throws off your body clock, causing symptoms such as insomnia, fatigue, and loss of appetite. |
| Shift Work Disorder | This is most common in people who work night shifts. Having to work when you should naturally be sleeping can completely throw off your body clock. |
| Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder (DSP) | This affects 'Night Owls' more. They tend to go to bed later at night than the average person and stay up later in the morning. This condition is more common in young people. |
| Irregular Sleep-Wake Rhythm Disorder | This is a somewhat rare condition. There is no specific sleep pattern. People take several short naps throughout the day. This can occur in people with brain diseases such as dementia. |
How do we keep our body clock accurate?
Fortunately, we can maintain this circadian rhythm in a healthy way by making small changes to our lifestyle. Here are some simple tips to do so:
- Get some morning sunlight: Get out in the sun for a few minutes as soon as you wake up. This is the best signal to your body clock that "the day has begun."
- Go to bed and wake up at a regular time: Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day as much as possible. Don't change this routine too much, even on weekends.
- Exercise during the day: Exercising during the day can help you sleep better at night. But avoid strenuous exercise close to bedtime.
- Be careful with caffeine: Avoid drinking caffeine-containing beverages like coffee, tea, and some soft drinks after 12 noon. These can disrupt your sleep.
- Avoid blue light: Stop using devices like phones, tablets, and TVs an hour or two before bed. The blue light they emit prevents the production of melatonin, a hormone that helps you sleep.
- Avoid long naps: If you nap during the day, keep it short (20-30 minutes). Napping in the afternoon can interfere with sleep at night.
Take-Home Message
- Your body has a natural internal clock (biological rhythm). This is essential for your sleep, energy levels, and overall health.
- The main controller of this clock is light, especially morning sunlight.
- The best way to maintain this rhythm is to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
- Your lifestyle (shift work, jet lag) can disrupt this rhythm, which can lead to long-term health problems.
- If you have persistent sleep problems, such as insomnia at night or excessive daytime sleepiness, don't dismiss it as just normal fatigue. See your GP to discuss this. It could be a sleep disorder that needs treatment.
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