Various
health professions use insights from the field of chronobiology to
understand problems and disruptions in our anatomy and physiology and
even mental status and mood. Understanding the very basics of
chronobiology can help you understand your personal health, both mental
and physical, and be aware of the changes that occur throughout the
cycles of the day and the year. Do you want to sleep more in the fall
and winter? Do you crave being barefoot and outdoors on a spring or
summer day? These "cravings" have more to do with the seasons and our
physiological cycles than your think.
How exactly does this all work?
Let's get a bit scientific here (you can skip this part)
Our
species has a small part of our brain called the suprachiasmatic
nucleus (SCN). This little piece of our anatomy is how our body knows
whether the sun is shining or not. Pretty smart huh? There are
specialized nerve cells that run from the retina in the eye to the SCN,
this "pathway" is called the retinohypothalamic tract (no, there will
not be a test). Put simply, the light we see (or don't see) triggers the
SCN in our brain to begin cycles of hormone release, hormone creation
(synthesis), body tempurature, appetite, sleep and more.
As
you can see, the importance of the 24 hour cycles of the sun are
paramount. If this is disrupted, as it often it with the use of
on-command lighting in our homes, the constant use of various
electronics and the demands of odd hours at work, normal physiological
functions will suffer. As a society we are adjusting our own internal
clocks without a full understanding of the consequences. In the winter
more than any other season, we see peaks in depression, disordered
sleeping patterns, a decline in immune function, changes to metabolism
and a peak in cardiovascular diseases.
Did you know…
This may seem vague for you, lets get into some of the specific
effects of "disrupting our clocks" that you may be all too familiar
with.
- Sex hormones are stimulated right before waking, and highest right after waking. This means that any PMS or menopausal remedies are most effective when taken before or with breakfast.
- Most heart attacks occur in the mornings of winter days.
- Gastic acid secretion (aka digestive juices) are at their peak at night, in between dinner and bed time. Studies have shown that medications for acid reflux, heart burn and other stomach issues are no better are suppressing stomach acid long term, compared to a placebo when taken in the morning. This is because very little stomach acid is released in the early hours of the day.
- Melatonin, commonly used as a sleeping aid, has no direct effect on sleep. Melatonin is the hormone your body uses to tell your brain that its getting dark out. Often times, our brain does not get the message that it is getting dark out because of the many lights and screens we use on a daily (and nightly) basis. Taking melatonin right before bed has far less of an effect on sleep than taking melatonin an hour or two after sunset. Once your brain reliazes the sun has set, our internal clock will do the rest and send other "sleep" signals throughout the body.
Whats the take home message here?
It
starts with the same health advice you have heard countless times; get
to bed earlier! Somewhere between 9 and 10 pm would be ideal, but don't
stay up past midnight – especially in the winter. Dimming your lights at
night, if possible, will send the right signals to your body as you get
ready for sleep. In contrast, on a gloomy day, being around bright
lights and getting active will do wonders for your mood compared to
staying in bed and sleeping in. Eating seasonal foods, maintaining your
immune system and avoiding the "winter blues" will keep your
"chronobiological rhythms" functioning at their peak so you can better
deal with all the other areas of your life.
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