If you work from home and can’t sleep, it may be because your circadian rhythms are out of sync, a new study suggests.
In short, your sleep-wake cycle may be out of whack, according to Randy Nelson, director of the West Virginia University Center for Foundational Neuroscience Research and Education.
“During the course of evolution, the temporal rhythm of our rotating planet was internalized in our bodies. Virtually, all organisms on the planet have self-sustaining, internal biological clocks,” Nelson says. “In humans, virtually every aspect of our physiology and behavior, ranging from sleep to hormone secretion, to body temperature regulation, metabolism and food intake, is mediated by our internal clocks.”
These internal rhythms synced to the solar days are called circadian rhythms, and the biological clocks that generate circadian rhythms are called circadian clocks.
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Tips for better sleep
If you are struggling to sleep throughout the night, try these tips for a better night’s rest:
1. Limit your exposure to artificial light
“If you were placed in a dimly lit cave for several weeks, your sleep-wake cycle might be about 24 hours and 15 minutes, but not precisely 24 hours, as it would be above ground where the circadian clock is being reset daily by exposure to light,” Nelson explains.
Exposure to artificial light at night can cause havoc with the
