Author: Sherry Farney
It’s a safe bet that most of us don’t realize our bodies have an internal clock, what it’s called, and how important it is to our heart health. That individual timekeeper is your circadian rhythm, which tells your body when to sleep and when to wake up each day. It also affects several other body processes, including your hormones, digestion, and body temperature.
Physicians and the American Heart Association (AHA) continue to research sleep health to better inform public health recommendations, especially those related to the heart.
“Changing your habits is a promising preventive strategy for better heart health,” said Dr. James Chambers, Chief of Cardiology at McLaren Flint. “We talk about eating better, not smoking, and getting enough exercise, but we should also talk more about getting a good night’s sleep and how to do so.”
A scientific statement on the importance of circadian health, released by the AHA in October of last year, provides several key takeaways.
- A regular sleep schedule, going to bed and getting up at the same times each day, is as important as the amount of sleep you get.
- Light is the primary cue for the circadian clock in the brain. Natural morning light helps reinforce healthy rhythms, while any kind of artificial light, especially blue light from screens, can delay the ability to fall asleep.
- When you eat matters. Irregular mealtimes or late-night eating can strain the liver and pancreas, contributing to blood sugar spikes and weight gain.
- Physical activity matters. It helps synchronize body processes. So far, research shows that working out in the morning or afternoon is more beneficial.
- Whether you are a “morning person” or a “night owl,” match your health interventions with this in mind.
Technologies such as wearable devices, advanced lab tests, and artificial intelligence will likely help the medical field continue to refine and track body patterns, such as your heart rate, over 24 hours, providing a clearer picture of your individual natural body clock rhythm.
“Until medical experts, science, and technology make these kinds of breakthroughs, it’s important for patients to have honest conversations with their physicians,” said Dr. Chambers. “We can still work together with the knowledge we have about diet, exercise, genetics, sleep habits, and so on, to live longer, healthier lives.”
If you need a primary care physician, you can find one at mclaren.org/primarycare. If you are looking for a heart specialist, visit mclaren.org/flintheart1.