Sleep

The Sleep Disorder You Might Be Missing

The Sleep Disorder You Might Be Missing

Every living creature, from deep sea fishes to microscopic single-celled terrestrial organisms, has an innate biological clock. For us surface dwellers, our rhythms undulate to the beat of the earth’s dark and light cycles. Light is the most powerful zeitgeber, or time giver, that regulates the internal clock. In this era of breaking news and binge watching, we are bombarded with constant exposure to artificial light, resulting in disruption of our natural body rhythms. Disturbances in the circadian rhythm can result in metabolic diseases, obesity, cancer, and mental health disorders. Despite the growing appreciation of chronobiology, circadian disorders are frequently missed in clinical practice.