Disruptions of circadian rhythms can be caused by a plethora of things, including jetlag, blue light and other artificial light at nighttime, medical disorders, night shift work schedules, and many other factors. Our circadian rhythms are our body’s internal clocks, controlled by the hypothalamus, and regulated by a light-dark 24-hour cycle (Walker II et al., 2021).
A study titled, “Circadian Rhythm Disruption and Mental Health”, by Walker II et al., shows that a disruption in circadian rhythm can negatively affect an individual's mood and overall mental health. Individuals with mood disorders are more predisposition to feel the negative mental health effects of an irregular circadian rhythm. Walker and his team conducted the study using night shift and jet lag to see if there was a correlation between mood disorders and a disruption of the circadian rhythm. They found that resynchronization of the circadian rhythm helped improve the symptoms of multiple mood disorders, such as major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BD), anxiety, and schizophrenia (SZ). They state that an irregular circadian rhythm may not be the cause of these mood disorders, but it can heighten symptoms making an individual feel the symptoms at a stronger level. (Walker II et al., 2021).
“Central and Peripheral Clock Control of Circadian Feeding Rhythms” by Dr. Dan Cavanaugh et al., studied how fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) feeding rhythms were affected by their circadian rhythms. The central brain clock and the peripheral clock play a large role in feeding rhythms. The fruit flies that endured continuous disruption within their circadian rhythms show a decrease in feeding rhythm strength and consume less food than the flies that did not. This study shows the importance of sleep on physical health. If our circadian rhythms become irregular, it can severely affect our food intake, which may lead to negative consequences (Cavanaugh et al., 2021).
Both studies show how important circadian rhythms are to our overall health, and how much our sleep affects our health. It is important for the population to understand that getting good sleep is a necessity for a happy and healthy lifestyle. Our circadian rhythms affect not only our physical health, but also our mental health. To maintain a healthy circadian rhythm, an individual must make sure they are getting enough sleep. Many feel like there is not enough time in the day to get work, school, or other responsibilities done and still have the time to get enough sleep. Prioritizing sleep is prioritizing your overall health, physically and mentally. But what changes can people with a busy lifestyle make to get their responsibilities done and still have time to get enough sleep every night?
Walker, W. H., Walton, J. C., DeVries, A. C., & Nelson, R. J. (2020, January 23). Circadian rhythm
disruption and mental health. Nature News. Retrieved March 4, 2022, from
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-020-0694-0
FulghamCV;Dreyer AP;Nasseri A;Miller AN;Love J;Martin MM;Jabr DA;Saurabh S;Cavanaugh DJ; (n.d.).
Central and peripheral clock control of circadian feeding rhythms. Journal of biological rhythms.
Retrieved March 4, 2022, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34547954/
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