Research of the circadian rhythm is not new. We can trace the research timeline all the way back to the 1920s with early looks at the locomotor rhythms in rats.
As Dr. Elizabeth Yurth of Boulder Longevity Institute notes, there seems to be a renewed interest in the importance of the circadian rhythm to our overall health, as proven by several studies being published in recent weeks.
The interest is apparently warranted, as evidence is beginning to mount that we should be focusing more on regulating our circadian any way we can.
The Circadian Rhythm
You have probably heard someone mention their “internal clock” before. This is a reference to the clock that regulates our bodies and the majority of its functions – the circadian rhythm.
The circadian rhythm is the daily rhythmic activity cycle, based on 24-hour intervals, which is exhibited by most organisms (even including worms) which helps regulate sleep, feeding, hormones, blood pressure, and body temperature.
Every cell operates on some form of a circadian rhythm. The circadian clock, if you will, dictates the optimal time for every function we perform. Functions as seemingly straightforward as sleep are precisely regulated by the natural, circadian rhythm of our bodies.
What Happens When the Clock Changes?
Simply put, when your circadian clock is off, you are off. That feeling of dysfunction, whether it be fatigue, underperformance, or just being “blah” could be associated with a circadian clock that is not functioning appropriately.
The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is the master timekeeper of the circadian rhythm. Using the clock comparison, the SCN is the clock that all the other clocks in your body look to for direction.
Naturally, the SCN allows our bodies to operate on a fixed, regulated schedule – humans are designed to function on daily, seasonally, and regionally controlled cycles.
As with most natural processes, human nature has led to a widespread disruption of our circadian rhythms. While there are cases of people born with altered clocks, the common social patterns we practice today, such as checking our phones before bed or working late at night, illustrate some of the many lifestyle-related causes of dysregulation of circadian rhythms.
This dysregulation can lead to myriad negative health responses like chronic fatigue, weight gain, and various diseases. The clock gene that controls the SCN is responsible for the regulation and change of up to 40 percent of other genes in the body.
When the circadian rhythm is disrupted for reasons inside or outside of our control, it has a devastating impact on the other processes the body performs.
Controlling the Clock
We will explore the specifics of the SCN and the circadian rhythm in more detail moving forward. It is worth spending a brief moment inspiring some confidence with this notion: There are ways to biohack your circadian rhythm and get your internal clock functioning in a way that supports your overall health.
These four biohacks are worthy of a full conversation, which will be a part of this series on the Circadian Rhythm, but here is a brief overview:
- Biohack One: Time Restricted Eating (Intermittent Fasting)
- Biohack Two: Resetting Your Light/Dark Cycles
- Biohack Three: Hormones
- Biohack Four: Deep Sleep Inducing Peptides
Unfortunately, controlling your SCN and circadian rhythm is not as simple as sleeping while it's dark out and waking with the light. We have lives, jobs, and other drains on the day that simply keep us from living the ideal lifestyle for our circadian rhythms.
There is hope. We know there is hope. The Boulder Longevity Institute offers solutions including expertise in using the four biohacks to reset your SCN and get your body realigned with its natural circdadian rhythm.
Look forward to more posts discussing the circadian rhythm, how it works for or against our bodies, and the biohacks we can use to get you back to a well-regulated, healthy state.
Get Your Rhythm Back
Sluggish? Never sleep enough? Always feel like a nap would be life-changing? Seemingly unable to lose weight or gain muscle?
These are all reasons you might consider getting help with your circadian rhythm. Identifying and correcting whatever is “keeping you up at night” is vital to gaining control of your health.
If you're serious about giving your rhythm the reset, check out our custom created Circadian Reset Package composed of key ingredients to keep your internal clock ticking.
