Is it Just Sleep?
Whilst sleep is a major factor in deciding how effective your circadian rhythm is, it’s not the only thing that is affected by a poor circadian rhythm. Weight and metabolism are two things that have been linked to misaligned circadian rhythms. This is because these rhythms decide when to release chemicals which start necessary bodily processes. If your rhythms are misaligned and ineffective, it can cause you to lose or gain weight and potentially increase or decrease your metabolism.
On top of this, mental health can also be affected, with studies showing that depression, bipolar disorder, and other psychiatric illnesses can be gained through poor circadian rhythms, as well as neurodegenerative diseases like dementia, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
Circadian rhythms could potentially influence the immune system and DNA structure. This means that a good circadian rhythm could be beneficial in repairing DNA, particularly DNA that might have come into contact with cancerous cells. This means that circadian rhythms could potentially influence the effectiveness of anti-cancer drugs and medicines.
So, it is not just sleep that’s affected by circadian rhythms.
Your circadian rhythm is like your body’s timetable. It sorts out and organises the processes that it must undertake and starts them at specific points during the 24-hour cycle. This is why it’s important to keep a good sleep schedule, good exercise routine, and just general good health. Not only is it important in keeping our body ticking, but it can also help in warding off other, more serious health problems that could affect us in later life.