Why is my circadian rhythm so important?

**Bababam** (0:04)
Why is my circadian rhythm so important?
Thanks for asking. You've no doubt heard references to the existence of body clocks in the past, and it's no surprise when you consider that all of our bodily functions are regulated by the circadian system. To put it simply, our circadian rhythms optimize bodily functions. They are managed by a master clock known as the circadian pacemaker, which is formed of around 20,000 neurons. It's situated in the brain, and more specifically in the hypothalamus. The sleep-wake cycle is an obvious example of a circadian rhythm, but these cycles help many other systems to function too, like hunger, organ activity, memory consolidation, and pain perception. The word circadian actually comes from the Latin circadiem, meaning around a day. In recent years, researchers even helped demonstrate that we have a number of biological clocks in cells throughout the body. Managing processes like metabolism, blood sugar regulation, and DNA repair, any desynchronization can potentially lead to health problems. What are the dangers of a disrupted circadian rhythm? Disturbances to the sleep-wake cycle can lead to sleeping problems, such as struggling to fall asleep or waking up at night. A person's overall sleep may end up being reduced, and the sleep they do get is of a lower quality. Our modern societies and lifestyles have a lot of influence on our body clocks. Night workers and people traveling between different time zones are affected more than most. We can get disoriented due to reduced sleep, being exposed to light from electronic devices at night, or having a meal at an unusual time. There can be a number of consequences, for example on the cardiovascular system, the immune system, cell division and tissue repair. It can lead to metabolic illnesses like diabetes or obesity, cardiovascular problems, immunological disorders, and even some forms of cancer. What's the best way to stop circadian rhythms from getting disrupted? There's still no effective way of diagnosing an imbalance in circadian rhythm. Simply monitoring the time we wake up and go to sleep isn't enough, even if that's a good starting point. The tricky thing is that sometimes our lifestyle needs clash with our body clocks.
Some healthy sleep tips include getting exposure to sunlight during the day, exercising on a daily basis, cutting back on stimulants like caffeine after noon, limiting daytime naps to 20 minutes max, and avoiding using electronics in bed.
There you have it.
Now you know why your circadian rhythm is so important. In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions, and help you understand the true meaning behind the trends, concepts and acronyms that are making headlines. Listen along and you will really know for sure.
Bababam!