If
you have any difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or not feeling
well rested after sleep, you sleep rhythms may be out of balance and you
might benefit from resetting your sleep-wake cycle, known as the Circadian Rhythm.
What are Circadian Rhythms?
Circadian
rhythms can influence sleep-wake cycles, hormone release, body
temperature and other important bodily functions. They have been linked
to various sleep disorders, such as insomnia. Abnormal circadian rhythms
have also been associated with obesity, diabetes, depression, bipolar
disorder and seasonal affective disorder.
An imbalance in the circadian rhythm can present with indicators such as:
- Inability to fall asleep
- Inability to stay asleep
- Difficulty waking up in the morning
- Not feeling well after sleep
- Not recovering from physical activity
- Drop of energy between 4 and 7
- Headache only in day parts
Stress can throw off our Circadian Rhythms
Stress
can throw off our sleep and vice versa. Poor sleep patterns can cause
greater stress. That’s because the sleep hormone melatonin and the
stress hormone cortisol have an antagonistic relationship.
Our
cortisol rhythms are supposed to be highest in the morning and then
wane as the day wears on. When people are active at night and slow in
the morning, the cortisol patterns are reversed. Elevated cortisol
levels at night actually turn off melatonin production. Similarly, if
melatonin is elevated then cortisol is depressed. So, when the body
does not release enough melatonin, cortisol levels stay high through
the night contributing to adrenal fatigue and blood sugar
dysregulation.
To
help improve sleep and reduce excess stress on the adrenal glands,
consider resetting the circadian rhythm and balancing the pineal gland
with the Circadian Rhythm blend before bed.
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