Location of Circadian Rhythm in Living Coloir

Just what is circadian rhythm?  The Circadian Rhythms are mental, behavioral and physical changes in your body over a 24 hour period of time.  These rhythms primarily respond to light and dark in your environment.  Most living things have these rhythms.  There is actually a name for the study of these rhythms – Chronobiology.

Master Clock

The Master Clock

Did you know we all have a Master Clock?    The Master Clock consists of a bunch of nerve cells in the brain and they are called suprachiasmatic nucleus -

Diagram of the Brian

or SCN for short.  The SCN is located in the Hypothalmus, which is found just above where the optic nerves cross.  The Master Clock coordinates all other “clocks” in the body so they are all in sync.

The Circadian Rhythms, although produced in our bodies, are sensitive to signals from the environment around you.  Light is the main cue and it turns on or turns off genes that control our internal clocks.

So – Circadian Rhythms have the ability to change sleep-wake cycles, body temperature, hormone release and other bodily functions. 

24 Hour Circadian Rhythm Diagram

Helpers for Sleep

Many people seek relief from sleeplessness by seeing their doctor and getting a prescription for a sleeping med.  Perhaps you should consider a more natural way to resolve this issue before seeking out prescription drugs.  There are other things out there, such as Melatonin, 5HTP, Valerian, Lemon Balm, Chamomile, Magnesium and Niacin.  Most, if not all, of these things can be found at a local Vitamin store such as Vitamin World.  Be sure to ask your doctor before taking anything over the counter – there may be very good reason why you should not take something if it might interfere with your prescriptions.  Another person to ask would be your local pharmacist.Before talking to either your local doctor or pharmacist it will be important to know whether or not you have problems with sleep onset or interruped sleep or both.  The ultimate goal for any of us to “sleep like a baby”.

Share your sleeping experiences and the remedies that have worked for you?  How do you achieve that goal?

Sleep Like a Baby

Resistance Chair with Mini-bike and Shoulder Stretcher

It’s convenient (folds up and rolls away), affordable (less than a gym membership) and uses resistance bands to optimize your exercise experience.  You can check this out at www.resistancechairsystem.com.

If you do not have your own office, you can still invest in this chair and use it when you get home from work.  Exercise right before bedtime is a no-no.  Our body does need a few hours of rest to calm down after working out.  Your body will feel tired at the end of the day.  And when it’s time to nestle into your bed, be sure you are using a buckwheat pillow (www.buckwheatpillowsonline.com) for the ultimate sleeping comfort.   Exercising – Oh Yes :0)!  Tikki

Twin Size Buckwheat Pillow

Trouble Sleeping?  Are you able to go to sleep but then wake up during the night and can’t get back to sleep?  Or do you have trouble just getting to sleep to begin with?  Whether you have trouble with onset of sleep or interrupted sleep, there are things you can do to improve the quality and quantity of your sleep.  For example:  If you watch a scary movie right before bed you may have restless sleep and even nightmares or if you are drinking lots of caffeinated beverages in the evening, you may have trouble getting to sleep.  An uncomfortable pillow may also keep you up.  Or it you are having night sweats (Hot Flashes), your pillow may be damp or even sopping wet.  A buckwheat pillow absorbs the heat from your head and you will have a drier pillow.  You may find a buckwheat pillow to your liking at www.buckwheatpillowsonline.com.

Sleeping Tip #1

Go to bed and get up at the same time

If you have a family and both parents work outside of the home, you will be challenged by this.  It may be easier to do the wake up at the same time because of school and jobs.  And then the weekend arrives and everyone wants to sleep in.  These are things you can do to make sure you wake up at the same time every day.  Put your alarm across the room so you have to get out of bed to shut it off.  Get an old fashioned alarm with the bells on the top – it will jolt you out of bed with its loud dinging.  Going to bed at the same time – well that depends on when the game at school ends, when the teenager comes in the door, when the baby finally goes to sleep etc.  So do the best job you can with this – go to bed at the same time and get up at the same time as much as possible!  Tikki