How Is the Circadian Rhythm Linked to Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
The circadian rhythm is the term that refers to the 24-hour cycle that works alongside the body’s internal biological clock. The suprachiasmatic nucleus, present in the Hypothalamus of the brain, is responsible for controlling both the circadian rhythm and the internal clock. The circadian rhythm is an integral part of many of the body’s critical systems, including the digestive system, immune system, and endocrine system.
Keep in mind that the circadian rhythm and the biological clock may work in close correspondence, but they are actually different things. In fact, the circadian rhythm is a subset of the biological clock; it dictates the rhythm according to environmental and personal changes. Some of these changes can be seasonal differences, age, and cell phone usage.
Oklahoma Otolaryngology Associates, LLC as a sleep apnea treatment provider decided to talk more about this.
What is the Connection between the Circadian Rhythm and Sleep?
The sleep-wake cycle in the body is in charge of signaling the brain and body when it is time to sleep and when it is time to be awake and alert. As the day progresses, it gets dark outside, and the shadows lengthen. The body’s internal clock recognizes the changes in light exposure and begins to tell the body that it’s nearing bedtime. The body then produces melatonin which promotes sleep.
What Throws off Your Circadian Rhythm?
When the circadian rhythm is thrown off, the biological clock meets confusion. The signals to remain alert and awake during the day misfire into the night, and you find yourself dozing off and losing focus during the day. Even the body’s melatonin production faces a severe impact. Here are some common factors that mess up your circadian rhythm. -
Too Much or Too Little Sleep
If the number of hours of shut-eye has recently undergone a sudden increase or decrease, it might have confused your body’s internal clock. To keep your circadian rhythm in proper alignment, practice going to bed and waking up at the same time every day.
Traveling Across Time Zones
Jet lag is a real deterrent to a healthy circadian rhythm. The further away you travel, ie, the more time zones you cross, the harder a time will the circadian rhythm be having.
Night Shifts
Working night shifts or pulling regular all-nighters where you stay up all night and sleep the day off is a sure enough way to jumble up your circadian rhythm.
Excessive Screen Time (Especially at Night)
When you use the phone late at night or watch TV past your bedtime, the false sense of light ends up confusing the body’s internal clock as well as the circadian rhythm.
How Does Circadian Rhythm Relate to Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea is no joke. It is a condition where the airways face blockageduring sleep and causes troubled or, occasionally, even paused breathing. Obstructive sleep apnea often have links with severe comorbidities like heart diseases, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, depression, and anxiety.
Sleep apnea also leads to the malfunctioning of the body’s circadian rhythm. Without sleep apnea treatment, this can further heighten your symptoms and make it even harder to get an interrupted 8 hours of shut-eye every night.
The Annals of the American Thoracic Society recently published a study that hinted at how an unhealthy circadian rhythm can impact conditions like OSA (obstructive sleep apnea), sepsis, and even cancer. Circadian misadjustment affects the severity of the condition and your probability of survival.
**Disclaimer: The information on this page is not intended to be a doctor's advice, nor does it create any form of patient-doctor relationship.