Do You Need To Reset Your Biological Clock?

Most species, including humans, have biological clocks that are based on a 24 hour cycle. These biological clocks create our circadian rhythms, which control the timing of hormonal release and much more. These circadian rhythms are triggered by various factors, the three most important being our exposure to light, our eating habits and our sleeping habits.

If you struggle with excess weight, insulin resistance, and/or diabetes, getting more sleep may be of significant importance. Recent research indicates that we have different clocks in virtually every organ in our bodies!

How Your Body Clocks Influence Your Waistline:

Keeping all of these internal body clocks in sync allows your body to perform at an optimal level, and the foundation for keeping them in sync is maintaining a natural sleep-wake cycle.

When your sleep schedule is erratic, a cascade of effects can occur, raising your blood pressure, altering hunger hormones and disrupting your blood sugar control.

Even during the switchover to daylight savings time, you may experience cognitive impairment, alertness, occupational injuries and a raised risk for automobile injuries.

Chronic sleep disruptions can pave the way toward metabolic dysfunction resulting in weight gain and type 2 diabetes. It also increases C-reactive protein, an inflammatory marker associated with deadly heart attacks. A mere 30 minutes less sleep per day can result in weight gain and insulin resistance.

Beat Insomnia by Turning off Electronics at Night:

While some people may choose to sleep less than the recommended eight hours for one reason or another, others want to sleep more but can’t. Insomnia is one of the most commonly reported sleep disorders, affecting an estimated 10% of Americans on a chronic basis. Brief episodes of insomnia affect about 35% of adults.

According to Michael Grandner, PhD, a psychiatry instructor and member of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program at the University of Pennsylvania, insomnia is often a side effect caused by engaging in some form of activity at a time when you should be preparing your body for rest. Using electronics and watching TV is among the most common insomnia-inducing activities. As a general rule, you need to avoid light-emitting technologies for at least an hour before going to bed, or you may find yourself tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. Teens in particular may have difficulty falling asleep if they spend too much time using electronic devices.

Other Habits That Induce Insomnia:

Time Magazine recently featured an article listing 20 different habits that might induce insomnia. Using electronics late at night was one of them. Here are a few other habits that might inadvertently keep sleep at bay.

1. Taking certain medications: Certain drugs can affect sleep, so you may need to discuss the timing of your medications with your doctor.

2. Drinking caffeine-containing beverages: Caffeine can affect you for up to 12 hours, so pay careful attention to the timing here as well.

3. Eating too late at night: Besides upsetting your body clocks, eating too close to bedtime can also make you feel full and bloated, making it more difficult to fall asleep. At minimum, avoid eating an hour before going to bed.

4. Using nicotine: Like caffeine, nicotine in all its forms is a stimulant, so lighting up too close to bedtime can worsen insomnia.

5. Allowing pets in bed: While you might frown at the idea of kicking your beloved pet out of bed, if you’re having trouble sleeping, you may want to at least try it to see if it makes a difference. According to one study, 63% of people who let their pets sleep in their bed slept poorly.

Four Factors That Help To Reset Your Circadian Rhythms:

1. Get bright daylight exposure, ideally around solar noon, for at least half an hour or more each day.

2. In the evening, dim environmental lights and avoid the blue light wavelength (this includes light bulbs, TVs, and most electronic gadgets).

3. When it’s time to go to sleep, make sure your bedroom is dark. This can be accomplished by installing blackout shades or by using a sleep mask.

4. Try to do your best to go to sleep the same time and get up the same time every day.

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