You’ve Got Rhythms
Wake up to your circadian rhythm - the key to your biological clock - here's how to get back in tune with them, in a flash.
*This article was first published in Active Magazine
Did you know your body has its own circadian pacemaker which is designed to run on a 24-hour cycle? The word circadian actually comes from the Latin circa diem which means, literally, about a day.
This pacemaker is located in the area of the brain called the hypothalamus, which is highly sensitive to light. It tells your body to wake up when it’s light. And then to get sleepy when the sun sets. It promotes good quality, restorative sleep. If it is working properly.
But it doesn’t only help with sleep. Every one of your major bodily processes takes its lead from your circadian rhythm. Your body was designed exquisitely for the natural world and its cycles of light. Natural light switches your bodily processes on and off as needed. It tells you when to eat, when to poop, whether to socialise or withdraw, whether to exercise or replenish. It directs your hormone secretion, influences your digestion, affects your mood and governs your cardiovascular system.
We now understand that exposure to artificial light can wreak havoc, not only on our bodies but also on our emotions, as our biological rhythms become misaligned.
People with severely disrupted circadian rhythms such as shift workers and frequent long haul fliers, experience sleep disturbance and tiredness, change in appetite, stomach and bowel function and increased risk of disease. For them, rates of particular types of cancer and cardiovascular disorders are higher. Disrupted circadian rhythms are associated with anxiety, depression, irritability, relational difficulties, ADHD, bipolar disorder and psychosis.
Getting back in tune
Let’s face it. We are all under pressure from simple everyday life to distort our rhythms from their natural course. But there is lots that we can do to get the whole body back into healthy rhythm.
Scientists are discovering more about the impact of managing light, and flashing light especially. Even at night while the eyes are closed, it can be used to realign circadian rhythms. Side-effect free techniques like that used by RoshiWave employ light and electromagnetic stimulation over the full range of brain frequencies to help the brain achieve a steady-state response. It can have a powerful impact on the body’s ability to re-set its clock. Like deep meditation, Roshiwave quietens the chatter of the brain and enables the user to achieve a state of peace, clarity and focus, improving mood and sleep.
Ensuring your circadian rhythm is aligned with your body’s needs might not be a cure-all for all ailments, but it can give your body a boost to combat the challenges you do face. And there is a lot you can do in your everyday life, to help get back into a natural and healthy state.
Introducing a brief morning walk within an hour of waking tells your body it’s time to be up. Similarly, take one at the end of the afternoon, when the sun’s going down. It will expose your eyes to the reddish hues that tell you to unwind. Avoid bright lights late at night.
If your CR has become misaligned, Harvard University researchers suggest doing a 16 hour fast and then getting back to regular consistent mealtimes. And fasting whilst flying is a simple trick to combat jetlag, one used by elite athletes to ensure their reaction times don’t suffer.
Try not to have caffeine after midday or to eat food within two hours of bedtime. Both give your body the message they need to stay awake and make it hard to sleep. Ease back on alcohol.
Quite simply, the science says the more we are in step with our circadian rhythms, the sweeter the tune our lives will play, physically and mentally.
*You can hear more about circadian rhythms in this conversation Naomi co-hosted for (
) Locked Up Living Podcast
*
Dr Naomi Murphy is an Oundle-based clinical and forensic psychologist and co-host of the acclaimed Locked Up Living podcast. You can find more information about RoshiWave, and other techniques which support good mental health and well-being, at www.octopuspsychology.com