Remember, your circadian rhythm is based on the amount of light that you receive throughout the day or night. So, if you receive less light through the day and more through the night, then this can throw off your sleeping pattern completely. That does include artificial light that you may be exposed to through the night.
Alternatively, it’s possible to alter your sleeping pattern by passing through different time zones as well. This means that you are going to stay up later and ask your body to change based on the environment.
It’s incredibly common for individuals who complete shiftwork to also experience issues here. For instance, you could be working overnight or you might be on the road through the evening. These people find it incredibly difficult to keep to a set sleep schedule because their body clock is running on a completely different pattern.
If your body clock does fall out of alignment then this can be problematic. It can lead to a poor level of sleep and people who do not get enough sleep often struggle to function effectively through the day. Over an extended period, research also suggests that it can cause more dangerous health issues such as:
- Sleep disorders
- Obesity
- Depression
- Bipolar disorder
- Diabetes
Indeed, doctors consider having a poor sleep schedule to be a sleep disorder. According to studies, 1% of adults have an advanced sleep phase disorder. This means that while they go to sleep quite early they also wake up before 5 am.
Younger people tend to have the opposite issue which is known as delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS). They can go to bed incredibly late and wake up later too. Some studies suggest that this impacts about 15% of teenagers.
Now, you know the issues that a lack of sleep can cause, let’s explore how to correct the problem the right way.