Your circadian rhythm is your own 24-hour internal clock. It is basically your sleep/wake cycle.
For most adults, we experience a dip in our energy around 1 pm & 3 pm when we tend to crave a nap. An interesting note here, you may not experience these low energy dips as often if you are all caught up on your sleep, which is a sign your body is rested and functioning well.
A part of your hypothalamus (a part of your brain that releases hormones) controls your circadian rhythm as well as light & darkness. When it’s dark your eyes send a signal to the hypothalamus that it is time to feel tired. Your brain, in turn, sends a signal to your body to release melatonin, which makes your body tired. Hence, your body coincides with the cycle of daytime and nighttime. A simple example is how we feel so energized and productive during the longer days of summer and not so much during the winter. We function optimally with darkness when we sleep and light while we are awake.
What is important and my reason for sharing this information with you today is to be aware of the signals your body is giving you, so you know what it needs to be strong and healthy. When your circadian rhythm is out of balance your body may experience the following:
1. Difficulty falling or staying asleep
2. Daytime sleepiness
3. Impaired performance, decrease in cognitive skills.
4. Inability to focus. Brain fog.
5. Moody
6. Lack of motivation or desire to initiate most things.
7. Higher sugar and/or carbohydrate cravings.
If you are dozing off and falling asleep on the couch while trying to watch a movie at night, maybe turn off the tv and go to bed. Get a good night sleep so you don’t experience the dips in energy levels the next day because you are rested.
Learn to work with your body instead of against it.
If you are interested in learning more ways to simplify life let me know and I will send you a pdf with my Top 5 Daily Rituals To Improve Your Digestion. A nice little read with great ideas.
Leave a Reply