by Justin Osborne
Contributing Author, Conscious Reminder
You’re probably wondering what biological rhythms are. This of them as the natural cycles that your bodily functions and hormones go through.
Your biological rhythms act as some kind of clock on the inside of the body that tells your body when to do the different things it does. This isn’t just a metaphor.
There is actually some kind of clock that controls your biological rhythms, and it is located in a region of your brain above where the optic nerves from your eyes cross. This region has thousands of neurons that work together to synchronize your bodily functions and chemicals.
Types of Biological Rhythms
There are 4 identified types of biological rhythms:
- Circadian Rhythms – Circadian rhythms last 24 hours and are all cycles that follow this time span, such as sleeping and other physiological functions.
- Diurnal Rhythms – These are not rhythms per se, but happen when your circadian rhythm is synchronized with normal day and night.
- Ultradian Rhythms – Ultradian rhythms are biological rhythms with an amplitude of less than 24 hours. Basically, they are intraday rhythms. They, therefore, happen more frequently than circadian rhythms.
- Infradian Rhythms – Infradian Rhythms are biological rhythms with an amplitude greater than 24 hours. They are cycles that last many days at a time. The best example of this is the menstrual cycle.
The circadian clock in your brain plays a huge role in your biological rhythms. It as a mental and physical role to play in how you respond to night and day, or even simply light and dark.
This clock regulated such things as sleep, body temperature, appetite, blood pressure, reaction times, hormone levels, alertness, and others.
Your biological rhythms can be dictated by external factors as well, such as drugs. Caffeine can disrupt your sleep schedules. The same goes for light. Exposure to light that mimics the sun can also affect your sleep schedules.
When your Biological Rhythms are disturbed
So what happens when your biological rhythms are disturbed? There are lots of disorders that can spring from this:
Mood Disorder
The disruption of your biological rhythms can lead to mood disorders. In particular, the lack of exposure to sunlight has actually been linked to seasonal affective disorder, bipolar disorder, and even depression.
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Shift Work Disorder
This is a disruption to the circadian rhythm that occurs when a person works outside of their typical workday. Once you settle into a particular shift rhythm, it is important to keep it up.
Jet Lag
This happens when you travel overnight or across time zones. It can cause a disruption in your circadian rhythm that results in fatigue, sleepiness, and mood disruption.
Sleep Disorder
The way your body is set up, you sleep at night. If these natural rhythms are disrupted, then you end up having sleep disorders, such as insomnia.
Do not compromise on your sleep. It is absolutely necessary for you to get enough sleep in order to function properly.
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What are the Symptoms of Biological Rhythm Disorders?
Biological rhythm disorders can have massive effects on the physical and psychological wellbeing of a person. They can cause sleepiness during the day, anxiety, the lack of mental alertness, lower performance at work, a propensity to make mistakes and get into accidents, increase the risk for obesity and diabetes, and even depression.
In fact, interestingly enough, some of the greatest human errors in history have happened during the night shift. According to a thesis writing service, the Three Mile Island Accident and the Chernobyl meltdown happened at night. Also, according to Cornell University, most single driver accidents happen just before dawn.
The way our brains and bodies are built, we were meant to sleep at night. That’s why we didn’t develop night vision or enhanced smell like nocturnal animals. At least 15% of full-time workers across the United States work different shifts.
Most of them are in the service sector, in industries like health, food preparation, police officers, firefighters, and industries that involve the movement of people. They are likely to get fewer than 6 hours of sleep a night.
These people are at the greatest risk of biological rhythm disorders. People who travel a lot or have fewer hours of daylight (think Alaska) are also at a higher risk of biological rhythm disorders.
Conclusion
It is important to understand your biological rhythms so that you can control them. It helps you to stay on top of things. As a student, for example, you should ensure you get enough sleep so your mental alertness and mood are at their peak.
That is the only way you will be able to properly study and pass your exams. It is the best condition to be in for learning. Keep your biological rhythms healthy and your studies and the rest of your life will soon follow.
About the Author: Justin Osborne is a writer at papersowl review and best essay services, he loves to share his thoughts and opinions about education, writing and blogging with other people on different blogs and forums. Currently, he is working as a content marketer at dissertation service and essay writing service.
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