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When our circadian rhythms are working properly, they help us achieve regular, restful nights of sleep. Externally, our circadian rhythms are also guided by natural light, temperature, air pressure, and other factors. Internally, the two most important genes in guiding our circadian rhythms are the "period” and “cryptochrome” genes, which signal certain proteins to build up in the nuclei of our cells at night and lessen during the day. The SCN lives in the hypothalamus portion of our brain and receives input from our eyes - particularly light. This master clock - aka the suprachiasmatic nucleus, or SCN - is made up of 20,000 nerve cells. Governing these gears is a master clock that keeps them running together. You can think of your many circadian rhythms like gears that are all connected and causing each other to turn. But our internal operating system still processes the changes and alerts our cells to adjust accordingly. These changes can be so subtle that we're oblivious to them.
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Our circadian rhythms work by responding to slight changes in the environment and within ourselves. The truth is: We’re sensitive creatures, and that’s a good thing! While we often refer to one, singular “circadian rhythm,” there are actually several circadian rhythms in the body, with the most noticeable being the sleep-wake cycle. Our genes make up the molecular components that create our biological clocks that dictate our circadian rhythms. Our bodies began responding to things like the rising and setting of the sun in order to anticipate changes in food availability, radiation, and temperature.Īs a result, our modern-day circadian rhythms still respond primarily to light and dark and continue to affect important functions like temperature, blood pressure, mental alertness, hormone levels, and sleep.Ĭircadian rhythms are created by specific molecules (proteins) interacting with cells throughout the body. Many, many years ago, humans evolved in alignment with the environment in order to survive. Let's get a better understanding of our circadian rhythms and what we can do to reset them when they're thrown out of alignment.Ĭircadian rhythms are physical, mental, and behavioral changes that happen in a roughly 24-hour cycle. And when that happens our sleep - and health - can suffer.
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A number of factors can throw our circadian rhythms off, including the bright phone screens we often stare at while doomscrolling at night. They’re important but also easily disrupted. Our body’s circadian rhythms help us transition throughout the day in a way that’s efficient and predictable.