We save on sleep all week by staying up late at work, but on the weekends we arrange a “sleep marathon” for ourselves. Many live in this rhythm for years, not suspecting that this is violence. Why is it so important for good health to live by the clock? Biologist Giles Duffield explains.
The expression «biological clock» sounds like an abstract metaphor, like «degree of stress.» Of course, we feel more cheerful in the morning, and by the evening we want to sleep. But many believe that the body simply accumulates fatigue and begins to require rest. You can always make it work a little longer, then to rest in plenty. But such a regime does not take into account the work of circadian rhythms, imperceptibly knocking us out of the rut.
The circadian rhythms govern our lives imperceptibly, but in fact it is a precise program written in the genes. Different people may have different variations of these genes — which is why some people work better early in the morning, while others «swing» only in the afternoon.
However, the role of circadian rhythms is not only to tell us in time “time to sleep” and “wake up, sleepyhead!”. They are involved in the work of almost all systems and organs — for example, the brain, heart and liver. They regulate processes in cells to ensure the consistency of the body as a whole. If it is violated — for example, due to irregular work schedules or changing time zones — this can lead to health problems.
What happens when a crash occurs?
Take, for example, the liver. It is involved in many biological processes related to the storage and release of energy. Therefore, liver cells work in conjunction with other systems and organs — primarily with fat cells and brain cells. The liver prepares vital substances (sugars and fats) that come to us from food, and then cleanses the blood, choosing toxins from it. These processes do not occur simultaneously, but alternately. Their switching is just controlled by circadian rhythms.
If you come home late from work and binge on food right before bed, you are throwing off this natural program. This can prevent the body from detoxifying and storing nutrients. Jet lag due to long-haul flights or shift work also wreaks havoc on our organs. After all, we cannot say to our liver: “So, today I work all night, tomorrow I will sleep half a day, so be kind, adjust your schedule.”
In the long term, constant conflicts between the rhythm we live in and the internal rhythms of our body can lead to the development of pathologies and disorders such as obesity and diabetes. Those who work in shifts do have a higher risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, obesity and diabetes than others. But those who work in this mode are not so few — about 15%.
Constantly waking up in pitch darkness and driving to work in the dark can lead to seasonal depression.
Of course, we do not always manage to live the way the body requires. But everyone can take care of themselves and follow some simple rules.
For example, don’t eat before bed. Late dinner, as we have already found out, is bad for the liver. And not only on it.
Sitting at the computer or TV until late is also not worth it. Artificial light prevents us from falling asleep: the body does not understand that the time has come to “close the shop”, and prolongs the time of activity. As a result, when we finally put the gadget down, the body does not immediately react. And in the morning it will ignore the alarm and demand a legitimate portion of sleep.
If in the evening bright light harms, in the morning it, on the contrary, is necessary. In nature, it is the rays of the morning sun that start a new daily cycle. Constantly waking up in pitch darkness and driving to work in the dark can lead to seasonal depression. Chronotherapy methods help to cope with it — for example, taking the hormone melatonin, which affects falling asleep, as well as light baths in the morning (but only under the supervision of specialists).
Remember that you can only subordinate the work of the body to your will for a while — in the future you still have to deal with the consequences of such violence. By sticking to your routine as much as possible, you will hear your body better and, ultimately, feel healthier.
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