What is a Circadian Rhythm?
Your circadian rhythm is like the conductor of your body's sleep orchestra. It orchestrates the perfect balance of sleep and wakefulness, with melatonin playing a key role as the sleep hormone. Nestled within the depths of your brain, specifically the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus, your biological sleep clock is strategically positioned behind the delicate nerves of your eyes. This prime location allows it to harmonize with the ebb and flow of light, effortlessly regulating melatonin production in response to changes in your external environment.
Thus, circadian rhythm disorders are often in response to your external factors:
- Extreme light conditions
- Extreme dark conditions
- Shift work
- A non-standard sleep schedule that conflicts with your work schedule, such as needing to start work at 7am but getting naturally tired at 2am
Symptoms of circadian rhythm disorders are fairly straightforward: when you want or need to sleep is when you can’t sleep. The result are insomnia symptoms and sleep deprivation.