Circadian rhythm is the oscillation of the different biological variations by regular intervals of time. In other words, it is the regulation of sleeping and waking states. Every living being possesses it and therefore varies from one to the other.
This regulation is done in a chronobiological and homeostatic way. The former is in charge of maintaining a balance, for instance, if one day we sleep too much, it will be in charge of making us sleep less at night. The second makes this cycle synchronize with the geophysicist of the planet (of 24 hours). Thus we manage to sleep at night and be awake and active during the day.
The part of the hypothalamus, located in the brain, is in charge of regulating these cycles. It must be said that the cycles of people are a little more than 24 hours so every day we must adapt to that of the Earth.
We make this adaptation by the light perceived by the cells in charge of this function, they perceive it through the retina. Another way of synchronizing with the planet is through the schedules we have established on a social level.
When all this works correctly we manage to sleep and wake up on the schedules that it touches, we can rest and make normal life. However, under certain circumstances and in certain people, these rhythms are altered. Then the disorders of the circadian rhythms appear.
Main causes of circadian rhythm
The internal biological clock is disturbed: it messes up the cycles, making them either much longer or much shorter than they should be (24 hours).
Error of the factors that make us synchronize the clock: such as having contact with too intense light that wakes us up earlier than expected or does not let us sleep. Or that our schedules do not coincide with these cycles. If we cannot synchronize them, we will not be able to follow the compass of the geophysical clock.
When we force the lack of synchronization: it happens when we work at night or when we make a trip to a country with many hours of difference.
Detecting the symptoms when we have an altered circadian rhythm is very easy. We will notice insomnia at night and sleepiness during the day. This will prevent us from continuing with our daily life tasks normally, cause bad moods and even health problems. That is why it is very important to do good prevention.
The best techniques to prevent it
Maintain proper sleep hygiene: Ideally, you should always go to sleep at the same time, so that your body creates a routine and it is easier for you to fall asleep. Avoid blue light from electronic devices before going to sleep because it keeps us awake. Try to sleep at least 8 hours a day, sleeping too much or too little is detrimental to the circadian rhythm. If we have trouble falling asleep, we can do a kind of ritual every night like meditate, read a little, have a hot drink, or look for something to help us relax and fall asleep.
Regulate the rhythms of sleep and wakefulness: we achieve this by making the state of sleep and wakefulness coincide with the hours of sunshine and night on earth, whenever we can, because sometimes, because of our work, it is not impossible.
If we notice that our circadian rhythm has been altered and that it is too difficult for us to maintain the cycles of vigil and sleep, it is advisable to go to the doctor. He will help us find the best solution for these cases. It is important to get them regulated because if we don’t, they make life difficult for us and cause other health problems.