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Many a student (or person) has thought "Man, I stayed out late, I'm feeling tired, and I really want to sleep in tomorrow morning" only to wake up at the usual 6 or 7 am as required by their school/work schedules. The dreaded circadian rhythm that often interrupts snoozing plans is a familiar phenomenon; understanding how it works and the importance of keeping a consistent sleep pattern can help you adjust to jet-lag and ultimately appreciate your body's natural clock.
Many a student (or person) has thought "Man, I stayed out late, I'm feeling tired, and I really want to sleep in tomorrow morning" only to wake up at the usual 6 or 7 am as required by their school/work schedules. The dreaded circadian rhythm that often interrupts snoozing plans is a familiar phenomenon; understanding how it works and the importance of keeping a consistent sleep pattern can help you adjust to jet-lag and ultimately appreciate your body's natural clock.
Circadian rhythm and melatonin
Circadian rhythm and melatonin
Bluelight
Bluelight
You may have heard or witnessed the dangers of looking at screens before bedtime. Bluelight emitted by screens can trick the brain into thinking it is still light outside and postpone the release of melatonin, making it difficult to fall asleep. In the long run, scrolling before bed takes from the body and mind's time to recover and prepare for the next day.
The image to the left is a sample circadian rhythm that might not reflect your own sleep pattern.
This diagram comprehensively captures the physiological markers of different times throughout the circadian cycle as dissected by sunrise and sunset (6 am and 6 pm, respectively). During peak summer and winter time, these hours will either be far earlier or far later, and your circadian rhythm will adjust accordingly. Primarily, it responds to the presence or absence of sunlight and works in conjunction with melatonin.
Melatonin is a hormone released by pinealocytes in the pineal gland responsible for sleep. When emitted, melatonin makes you feel sleepy, your eyes heavy, your heart rate slower, and other sleep-related/inducing effects. The pineal gland releases melatonin until sunlight is detected in the retina of both eyes the following morning.
For jet-lag, it is advised to expose your eyes to as much natural sunlight as possible in-tune with your destination's time zone in order to slow melatonin release until the sun goes down. By understanding the circadian rhythm, you can be sure you adjust quickly and sleep at a standard time!
Sleep patterns and consistency
Sleep patterns and consistency
Sleep patterns are marked by the regular tendencies of a person's bed-time and awake-time. The most important factor in healthy sleep is consistency. It can be very disorienting for your natural body processes, such as digestion, memory storage, and muscle and bone formation, to frequently change the time at which you sleep and wake-up. Usually, waking up very early or staying out very late is a signal of stress in the body - a sign that something is wrong - so your body releases cortisol and adrenaline through the body to ensure it is ready for any disaster.
If your school or workplace requires you to wake up at 8 am, its best to wake up between 7 and 9 am everyday of the week. If late nights warrant sleeping in, naps between 1 and 3 pm can help replenish your energy without taking disrupting your sleep schedule.
Happy snoozing!
Written by: Siena
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