From night owls to morning larks.
Circadian rhythms are our body’s time keeper, differentiating day and night, telling us when it is time to eat and releasing sleep hormones like melatonin when it is time to sleep.
Psychologist and PhD candidate Hailey Meaklim explains that our bodies tend to follow a 24-hour cycle, however, “We are influenced by our environment and behavior. Light is the most important factor for regulating our circadian rhythms, but timing of meals, social cues and activity levels also play a role.”
Many important bodily processes are influenced by our circadian rhythms, which is why Meaklim warns that, “If we expose ourselves to light at night or change our sleep-wake or meal schedules, this can really disrupt our circadian rhythms and lead to poor sleep, as our body gets confused about what time it is.”
DISORDERED SCHEDULES
At St. Vincent’s Hospital Sleep Centre in Melbourne, Australia, Meaklim sees patients dealing with sleep disruption, excessive sleepiness and insomnia. Circadian Rhythm Sleep-Wake Disorders (CRSWD) occur when there is a misalignment between a person’s circadian rhythms and the sleep-wake schedule required by the person’s environment or work commitments,” says Meaklim. “People often report feeling like they are constantly jet-lagged and are operating on a different time zone then their family,
friends and workplace.”
“These conditions are often misdiagnosed as insomnia (difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep or waking too early), but a key difference with CRSWDs is that if you let people sleep at a time consistent with their body clock, they can sleep! This is different from insomnia where people struggle with sleep no matter the time.”
NIGHT OWLS
In Delayed Sleep-Wake Phase Disorder (DSWPD), people often refer to themselves as night owls. “We see that a person’s body clock is delayed by several hours,” Meaklim explains. “They feel like a normal sleep cycle would be something like going to sleep at 3:00am and waking at 11:00am.”
“A common example that we see in the clinic,” Meaklim goes on to explain, “is a referral from a frustrated parent because their teenager cannot get to school on time, with implications for their school performance. Whilst elements of behavior such as mobile phone use late at night can really delay a person’s body clock and sleep, there is often an
underlying DSWPD at play.”
According to Meaklim, DSWPD affects around 7-16% of young adults due to a natural delay in the body clock that occurs after puberty. This means that the teenager is actually incapable of falling asleep at a reasonable hour, and not be able to sleep until early in the morning. “Perhaps not surprisingly, these teens typically struggle to get up at 7:00am after only four hours of sleep!” says Meaklim.
“Treating the underlying DSWPD through sleep-wake scheduling and bright light therapy can really help get circadian rhythms back on track, improve sleep and ultimately provide better school attendance and performance.”
EARLY BIRDS
On the other hand, people with Advanced Sleep-Wake Phase Disorder (ASWPD) are referred to as early birds or morning larks. In this condition, a person’s body clock is timed too early. For example, they feel sleepy at 8:00pm and wake at 4:00am. “ASWPD is more common in the elderly population.” Meaklim says, “which is often why grandparents eat dinner so early.”
SETTING YOUR CLOCK
Sharing the advice she gives patients, Meaklim emphasizes regularity. “As much as you can, keep a consistent sleep-wake routine, going to bed and getting up at around the same time each day. If you sleep in for three hours on the weekend, that is like crossing a time zone when you try to get up at your normal time on Monday morning. Also, try to keep your meals at the same time to reinforce this message to your body.”
“In addition, we need bright light during the day to help our circadian rhythms know it is daytime.” In the evening, Meaklim suggests keeping light levels low, and warmer in color once the sun goes down. “Our bodies did not evolve with artificial light, so try to avoid bright light from devices like mobile phones or energy efficient light bulbs in the evening. Aim for bright days and dark nights.”
Finally, if you have tried these basic sleep hygiene tips and sleep is not getting any better, or for any other sleep concerns, Meaklim suggests consulting with your doctor.
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Shanti Argue is a freelance writer who loves researching and writing about a variety of topics.
