This is the 4th post in my stress series, so if you’re behind go back and catch up. Remember💥 the goals of this series are to help you to KNOW your stressors, ADDRESS what you can, and become more RESILIENT to the rest.
Most of us know that stress can disturb our sleep 😴 , but did you know that poor sleep (along with other circadian rhythm disruptors) can be a form of stress itself?!
Your circadian rhythm is an internal clock⏰ that is constantly running and is critical to your health. Essentially every system in your body is coordinated by your brain’s operation of this internal clock.It can even ↑or ↓ regulate certain enzyme functions based on whether your body thinks it's 🌞or🌙. In addition to the sleep-wake cycle, your circadian rhythm also plays a major role in these functions:
⚡️Metabolism, Weight management
⚡️Training recovery & performance
⚡️Blood sugar regulation
⚡️Neurological health
⚡️Immune health, DNA repair
⚡️Hormone function (in particular thyroid, LH, FSH, and prolactin)
⚡️Microbiome (gut) health
⚡️Detoxification
When your circadian rhythm becomes disrupted, it means these systems don’t operate right. And vice versa, when these systems are off, your circadian rhythm can become even more disrupted. So, not only does staying up late leave you feeling crummy, it’s actually impacting a much bigger picture.
Circadian disruption comes from a number of things, including:
⛔️Insufficient sunlight or red light
⛔️Inconsistent sleep-wake patterns, or night shift work
⛔️Hormone imbalance, in particular low progesterone
⛔️Liver health (affected by, but not limited to, alcohol use)
⛔️Excessive blue light, particularly past sundown
⛔️Excessive OR not enough physical activity
⛔️Electric and magnetic fields (EMFs)
⛔️Gut / microbiome health
⛔️High perceived stress (see last week’s post)
⛔️Poor nutrient balance, especially insufficient carbohydrate or calories
So now it’s time for reflection: what might be negatively affecting your circadian rhythm?
Save📌and Stay tuned; tomorrow I’ll be talking about ways to support your circadian rhythm better 👊🏼