ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

Circadian Rhythms and Endocrine Disruptors

Updated on July 26, 2012
Source

Ever wonder why some people just naturally seem to be early risers while others can barely crawl out of bed by mid-afternoon? The answer is in their biological clocks. Our biological clocks are what drive our circadian rhythms. We have sort of a “master clock”, located in the hypothalamus, which is made up of a group of nerve cells called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SNC). The SNC contains about 20,000 cells. This master clock coordinates all the body clocks, keeping them in synch with each other.

One of the clocks controlled is that of our circadian rhythms, a group of mental, behavioral, and physical changes following a 24 hour cycle. These changes respond mostly to the light and darkness in our environment. Such rhythms are found in most living things, including plants and animals, and even microbes. Though they are produced by natural factors within the body, they are also affected by our environment with light being the main force behind the turning on and off of genes that control our internal clocks.

Our circadian rhythms regulate our sleep-wake schedules, body temperature, hormone release, and other bodily functions. They are very important to determining our sleep patterns. The SCN controls the production of melatonin in the pineal gland. Melatonin is the hormone which makes us sleepy. The SCN is right above the optic nerve, which relays information from the eyes to the brain. When incoming light is low, as at night, the SNC signals the brain to make melatonin, so that sleep may be brought on.

Numerous studies have linked our circadian rhythms to various sleep disorders, such as insomnia and disrupted sleep-wake cycles. Depression and bipolar disorder have been linked to abnormal circadian rhythms. There are several ways our circadian rhythms can be disrupted, jet lag and shift work being among them. There are also drugs and toxins which can have severe disrupting effects on our rhythms.

Much has been reported and recorded on the ill health effects associated with pesticides, insecticides, and additives in our food. More and more research shows these chemicals being released into our environment, as well as our food, serve to cause disruption in the functioning of the human endocrine system. They are referred to as Endocrine Disruptors, or EDC's.

The endocrine system is made up of 10 different glands, each having its own function in regulating and maintaining body functions. When the functions of the endocrine glands, and the levels of hormones are changed, many different illnesses can result. The effects of EDC's in connection with immunity, metabolism, and body organs can be disastrous.

Several studies have linked EDC's to alteration of the circadian “clocks” in the liver, as well as other organs. Since EDC's have a direct impact on altering and disrupting the levels of hormones, and the glands associated, circadian rhythms have been found to be impacted as well. At this time, there are questions whether the disruption of circadian rhythms are the key to tripping the trigger, so to speak, when considering the almost doubled incidence of diabetes and obesity since 2000.

Sleep disorders are another factor to contend with when dealing with diabetes and/or obesity. The question is: Which came first? The illness brought on by exposure to EDC's, or disruption of circadian rhythms due to exposure to EDC's?

If you have begun to experience unexplained trouble sleeping, or your sleep patterns seem to be erratic with no known cause, you may be suffering the effects of EDC exposure. To lessen your exposure to Endocrine Disruptors, you should make sure you read the labels before consuming processed food. It's better to stick to whole foods you cook yourself, but even with these you may be dealing with farming chemicals which have been absorbed into the plants. Stop using artificial sweeteners and flavors. Trade in your carbonated sodas for water. If you are a juice drinker, make sure you are only purchasing those without sweeteners added.

To bring your circadian rhythms back to normal there are several things you can do, once you've removed EDC's from your diet. Your bed is for sleeping, not watching television, doing last minute computer work, or eating. Try to stay consistent with bedtime hours. Go to bed at the same time every night, setting your alarm for the same time every day. This means even on weekends.

Don't pull the window shades down, or close the mini-blinds. Our bodies produce melatonin when our eyes don't register high levels of light. The more melatonin in your system when the alarm goes off, the groggier you will feel upon waking. When evening comes on, start dimming the lights to get that melatonin pumping.

Source

Forget the midnight snacks. In fact, cut out all eating and drinks at least two hours prior to your scheduled bedtime. Circadian rhythms have been linked to meal schedules. Since we eat most of our meals during the day, that late night snack may trick your brain into responding as though it's the middle of the day. Melatonin production will be halted, which will result in you being alert when you need to be getting sleepy. In addition, waking up to visit the bathroom is a sleep disruptor!

Getting enough exercise has been linked to a good night's rest. However, if you exercise too close to bedtime, it can have the opposite effect. Exercising causes endorphins to be released which may make you feel very alert and energized. The idea is to use your muscles enough during your waking hours so that you will be ready for a rest at bedtime. It's best to make sure your workout is finished at least an hour before hitting the sack.

It takes some time to get your rhythms back to normal. If you experience wakeful periods during the night, it's recommended that you get up for a few brief moments rather than laying there staring into the dark. All you will do is become frustrated at not being able to sleep, which will make you feel more wide awake. However, do NOT turn the lights on and start watching television. After a moment or two of quiet thought, try to go back to sleep. No matter how sleepy you may feel when the alarm goes off, get up anyway. You'll be twice as tired when bedtime finally comes again!

If you found this information helpful, please pass it on by clicking the Tweet, Like, or +1 button provided at the top of the page.

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)