Circadian rhythms
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The nature of circadian rhythms
Driven by our body clocks Synchronsied by the SCN
Sleep wake cycle
Light and darkness are external factors influencing our sleep. Strongest sleep drives are between 2-4am and 1-3pm. Our sleepiness will depend on how rested we are. It is also determined by homeostatic control - when we have been awake for a long time, out energy is used so our HSC tells us we need to sleep.
Core body temperature
At its lowest at 4:30am. Highest at 6pm. Drops before bed and rises just before we wake up. Small drop between 2-4pm too.
Hormone production
Production and release of melatonin from the pineal gland follows a circadian rhythm. Peak during darkness. Encourages feelings of sleep when dark
A03: Research support for the importance of light
Hughes tested the circadian hormone release in the people in polar regions. Extreme daylight = variation in CHR
A03: Individual differences
Cycle length from 13-65 hours
A03: Temperature may be more important than light
Burh - SCN transports information about light levels into neural messages that set bodys temp. Even a small game in temp can send a powerful signal to our body clocks
A03: Chronotherapeutic
Real world application - timing of taking medication can have an impact on treatment success