Did you know that clocks aren’t only worn on wrists and implanted into electronic devices? Humans have biological clocks that regulate our life from the moment we are born. That clock indicates to the body when one wants to do things like going to sleep, waking up and eating. Moreover, our body clocks play important roles in maintaining bodily strength. Indeed, it plays essential roles in taking care of and balancing our overall health. So, let’s look into body clock issues more deeply.
Getting to know your body clock
The biological clock or body clock controls the functions of various bodily systems, including waking up, eating, sleeping, resting, excretion, behavior, hormone secretion, energy metabolism, immune system operation, and others.
How does the body clock work?
Our body clock has a cycle of around 24 hours and is controlled by light and heat. When these two things are in synch, the body works according to daily cycles known as ‘Circadian Rhythms’.
The body clock is controlled by light and temperature due to the workings of a group of cells called the ‘suprachiasmatic nucleus’ located in the hypothalamus region of the brain. The suprachiasmatic nucleus is controlled by ‘clock genes’ that send signals arising from responses to degrees of light and darkness to the nervous system of the eye. This cluster of cells then translates signals to the brain that control systems such as melatonin secretion which decreases as the body warms up, thus awakening us from sleep. Conversely, more melatonin is released when the body is exposed to darkness making us sleepy at night.
You may wonder why some people like to sleep and wake up late or sleep at different times to those of the circadian rhythms. The reason is that, due to distorted responses to various external factors, the clock genes mutate. At night, there shouldn’t be any light but the nervous system of the eyes responds to light from lamps or screens and so on. We can normalize the gene mutation by adjusting our body clock to bring the body back into balance.
There are two types of gene mutation. “Lark Phenotype” applies to people who go to sleep early and wake up early because their body clock starts working in the early morning. The elderly tend to be this type. By contrast, “Owl Phenotype” applies to people who are active during the day, the afternoon, the night and even through to almost the next morning. Teenagers and working people tend to be this type.
Factors that change the body clock
Our body clocks can fluctuate or be distorted by many factors, including age, deterioration of organs and body systems, sleeping at the wrong time, delaying bedtime, working at night, jet lag, having health problems, certain diseases, and others. Moreover, our ‘new normal’ lifestyles such as working from home, working via mobile phone, playing games and being engrossed in streaming applications for long periods, and others, cause our body clocks to fluctuate.
Body clock fluctuations directly affect sleep. Indeed, those whose body clock fluctuates risk insomnia, the disorder whereby we don’t get enough rest. As a consequence, we feel exhausted, weak, not energetic, irritated, have mood swings, lack concentration, find daily life difficult, and are less efficient at work. In some cases, symptoms may be severe to the point of having mental disorders such as anxiety and depression. Long-term sufferers are at risk of developing severe medical conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and others.
Adjusting the body clock to balance the body
Living in accordance with body clock timing contributes to maintaining the balance of the body and good health. It makes body and organ systems work efficiently. So, if your body clock is distorted, the solution is to adjust your lifestyle. You may not be able to do it ‘overnight’, as it were, but you should try as much as you can.
You can start by trying to go to sleep on time. Those who have difficulty sleeping are recommended to turn off their mobile phone 90 minutes before going to bed and make the bedroom completely dark. You can also create a sleepy atmosphere with soothing music and various aromas that can help induce sleep. It is also best to avoid napping during the day as this will help you get to sleep more easily and give you better quality sleep. Another important factor is eating. The last meal of the day should conclude no later than 8 p.m. As for exercise, it is best done during the day as working out wakes up the body so it isn’t ready for quality sleep.
People who work in 24-hour areas such as those who have shifts working at an airport or in a convenience store, need to make additional adjustments. When not working at night, they should get a full 8 hours’ sleep. Changes in shift times shouldn’t be close together and shouldn’t be changed retrospectively as this will cause sleep deprivation and accentuate tiredness. The gap between changing shifts should preferably be at least three weeks. Changing shifts every week doesn’t give the body clock enough time to adapt. However, if the shift does have to be changed often, it shouldn’t be more frequent than 2-3 days.
Although it is difficult to moderate body clock fluctuations, we can get enough rest by going to bed and waking up at regular times. That will keep our body clock working normally and healthily.
Krungthai-AXA Life Insurance customers interested in health care can check out other health articles at https://www.krungthai-axa.co.th/th/health-advisories.
References
· Pobpad website
https://bit.ly/3GJewbe
· Samitivej Hospital
https://bit.ly/3ZfHExG
· Paolo Hospital
https://bit.ly/3IseXrw
http://bit.ly/3WGAiBa
· Corporate Communication, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital
· MedPark
http://bit.ly/3H6kguk
Cleveland Clinic
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/12115-circadian-rhythm-disorders