Monday, November 3, 2008

Your Circadian Rhythm -Friend Or Foe?

By Harold Ulvaeus

Your circadian rhythm and it's level of function is closely connected to insomnia. While it is commonly believed that the circadian rhythm has to do with the time of day, it has a lot to do with the amount of light or darkness. We all have a clock inside that gives us a nudge when it is time to go to sleep for the night and when it is time to get up.

This internal clock within our body controls what is known as the circadian rhythm. These rhythms are associated with the regulation of many hormones that are released within our body throughout the day. For example, our body's temperature and overall alertness are key factors directly affected by our circadian rhythm.

Our circadian rhythms are partially responsible for us having lots of energy during some parts of the day yet feeling sluggish and tired at other times of the day. Many people who have a sleep disorder related to their circadian rhythm tend to feel tired when they should be wide awake. People who work at night or keep odd hours are the most common sufferers of this type of sleep disorder.

Light is one of the most influential factor in regulating your circadian rhythm. When there are long periods of low levels of light there is a tendency to feel more fatigued and suffer from low energy. This is very common in the winter, especially in the northern areas where there is only a few hours of light per day.

The most common way to help correct sleep disorders related to your circadian rhythm is to use special forms of light therapy to slowly reset your internal clock. Using light therapy is a very simple process. It requires the proper lightning and about 30 to 60 minutes of your time every day in conjunction with following a strict sleep regimen. The light used for this form of therapy is usually delivered using a special device known as a light box. Light boxes in most cases use specialized fluorescent light bulbs that have a LUX value between 5000 and 10,000.

The key to success with light therapy is to time the light exposure correctly depending on your particular situation.

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