Circadian rhythm disorders, also known as sleep-wake cycle disorders, are problems that occur when your body\u2019s internal clock, which tells you when it\u2019s time to sleep or wake, is out of sync with your environment.<\/p>\n
Your internal clock, called a circadian clock, cycles about every 24 hours. These repeating 24-hour cycles are called the circadian rhythm.<\/p>\n
Your body tries to align your sleep-wake cycle to cues from the environment, such as when it gets light or dark outside, when you eat, and when you are physically active. When your sleep-wake cycle is out of sync with your environment, you may have difficulty sleeping, and the quality of your sleep may be poor. Disruptions of your sleep-wake cycle that interfere with daily activities may mean that you have a circadian rhythm disorder.<\/p>\n
Disruptions in your sleep patterns can be temporary and caused by your sleep habits, job, or travel. Or a circadian rhythm disorder can be long-term and\u00a0caused\u00a0by aging, your genes, or a medical condition. You may have\u00a0symptoms\u00a0such as extreme daytime sleepiness, decreased alertness, and problems with memory and decision-making.<\/p>\n
To\u00a0diagnose\u00a0a circadian rhythm disorder, your doctor may ask about your sleep habits and may suggest a sleep study and some other diagnostic tests. Your\u00a0treatment plan\u00a0will depend on the\u00a0type\u00a0and cause of your circadian rhythm disorder.<\/p>\n
You can take steps to prevent circadian rhythm disorders by making healthy lifestyle changes to improve your sleep habits. If left untreated, circadian rhythm disorders may increase the risk of certain health problems or lead to workplace and road accidents.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Circadian rhythm disorders, also known as sleep-wake cycle disorders, are problems that occur when your body\u2019s internal clock, which tells you when it\u2019s time to sleep or wake, is out of sync with your environment. Your internal clock, called a circadian clock, cycles about every 24 hours. These repeating 24-hour cycles are called the circadian<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6250,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[309],"tags":[587],"class_list":["post-6249","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-banner-headline","tag-sleep-wake-cycle","enable-dropcap","disable-2-columns"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n