Finding Your Circadian Rhythm

Posted: February 22, 2010
By: Sara

It is sometimes thought that getting a certain number of hours sleep per day is the only requirement of sleep. Getting an adequate amount of sleep is important but the sleep that the body gets must be in response to the body’s natural clock. The body’s natural clock that deals with sleep and waking is called the circadian rhythm. Sleeping in response to the circadian rhythms is much healthier than sleeping unnatural hours.

Though it is important to get between 7 and 8 hours of sleep per night it is also important to listen to the body and react to when it starts to feel tired. The body will naturally get tired when pineal gland in the brain produces enough of the hormone melatonin and it will wake up when it has had enough sleep for the night.

Listening to Your Body

The circadian rhythms work in conjunction with some other important systems in the body like the temperature of the body and blood pressure. It is important to try and keep the circadian rhythms regular because if the body starts to get off of the schedule of the circadian rhythms those other aspects like body temperature and blood pressure will also react in an unpredictable manner. Listening to when the body is tired and when the body wants to wake up is an important part of maintaining a healthy balance within.

Get in Your Circadian Rhythm

In order to stay healthy, there are some ways to keep the body’s circadian rhythms working according to schedule. The circadian rhythms react mainly to sunlight and darkness. During the winter months the circiadian rhythms can fall off balance because the body does not get enough sunlight during the day. If it is possible to get more sunlight in the house by opening the curtains or getting outside more often it will be all the better for the body to stay near to it’s rhythmic patterns.

Geography and Sleep Patterns

In some parts of the world the sun shines less per day during the winter months. This can also cause the circadian rhythms to fall off balance and negatively effect the sleep schedule. One way to combat this problem and to get the body back on course is to purchase over the counter melatonin caps to supplement the lack of melatonin being produced in the brain. One supplement taken before bedtime will help the body to fall asleep just as the naturally occuring melatonin would.