Circadian Rhythm News and Research

Latest Circadian Rhythm News and Research

Shift workers at increased risk for sleep disorders and metabolic syndrome

Shift workers are at a significantly increased risk for sleep disorders and metabolic syndrome, which increases a person's risk for heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

3 Feb 2020

Researchers receive $1 million grant to study effects of bacteria on the brain

With a $1 million grant from the W. M. Keck Foundation, neuroscience researchers at Washington State University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst will explore whether variations in brain levels of bacterial fragments can account for life's sleep/wake and 24-hour cycles, known as circadian rhythms.

3 Feb 2020

Fat cells can sense light, not getting enough raises risk of metabolic diseases

All life forms need sunlight to survive and not getting enough may impact health and well-being. There is a growing body of evidence that getting enough sunlight can promote optimum health. A new study supports this claim as scientists found that fat cells deep in the skin can detect sunlight and not getting enough can increase the risk of metabolic disruption.

21 Jan 2020

Circadian clock genes are involved in healing from surgery, study shows

If you have just had knee, shoulder or hip surgery, you may want to take anti-inflammatories in the morning or at noon, but not at night.

21 Jan 2020

Blue light exposure therapy can aid in healing people with mTBI

Early morning blue light exposure therapy can aid the healing process of people impact by mild traumatic brain injury, according to new research from the University of Arizona.

16 Jan 2020

Parental enforcement of bedtime yields solid results for sleep-deprived teens

Teenagers in the US simply don't get enough shut eye. The consequences of this epidemic of sleep deprivation are extensive and include increasing rates of anxiety and depression among adolescents, as well as suicidal thoughts and actions.

9 Jan 2020

Study reveals how circadian rhythm changes the way mammals can see

How mammals perceive light changes between night and day. Researchers at Aalto University and the University of Helsinki discovered that mice were better at finding a dim light in pitch-darkness in experiments done at night time compared to ones done during the day time.

19 Dec 2019

Blue light may not be so bad for sleep

The sun provides warmth and a bright light with orange-yellow hues during the day. But at night, cold, dim, and white light from the Moon, which exposes people to light similar to blue wavelengths emitted by various types of artificial lighting. Previously, blue light has been dubbed as disruptive to a good night’s sleep.

18 Dec 2019

Sleep fragmentation linked to migraine risk a day later

Nearly half of all patients who suffer migraines report sleep disturbance as a trigger for their headaches. But the relationship between sleep and migraine headaches is not well understood or well-studied.

16 Dec 2019

Rutgers expert shares tips on how to minimize jet lag, sleep disruptions during the holidays

With shorter daylight hours, stress and travel to different time zones, the holiday season can disrupt our circadian rhythm and create sleep difficulties – making it even harder to avoid stress, enjoy time with family, and finally return to work.

14 Dec 2019

Seven ways to get the right amount of sleep during holiday season

Aunt Jessica is visiting from the west coast. Twelve gifts need wrapping. Three party invites just arrived by text message. And now little Timmy's classmates expect fresh-baked cookies by 7 a.m.

12 Dec 2019

BGU researchers discover gene that causes nighttime atrial fibrillation

Genetic studies spanning three generations of a Persian Jewish family by researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. have identified a gene that causes nighttime atrial fibrillation (AFib).

18 Nov 2019

Stress affects circadian rhythm, increases metabolic disease risk

Stress is a normal part of life, but too much of everything isn’t healthy. Every day, people from all walks of life experience stress of various degrees. A new study found that when stress has disrupted the circadian rhythm, the body’s internal clock, it can increase the risk of developing metabolic diseases.

12 Nov 2019

Study shows how glucocorticoid hormones control sugar and fat levels over the course of 24 hours

For the first time, a study led by researchers at Helmholtz Zentrum München and the German Center for Diabetes Research shows how glucocorticoid hormones, such as cortisol, control sugar and fat levels differently during day and night, feeding and fasting, rest and activity, over the course of 24 hours.

10 Nov 2019

Health impact of Daylight Saving Time

Every year people make a change in their daily timetables to make use of what is called “Daylight Saving Time” (DST), and then transition back again to their earlier time clocks. However, new research published in JAMA Neurology shows that this yearly change about may affect health over the long term. The researchers strongly call for stopping this practice, which has no economic benefit, and may have severe and chronic negative health impacts.

5 Nov 2019

Taking blood pressure pills at bedtime best for heart

Chronopharmacology or chronotherapy deals with the effects of a drug when taken at specific time of the day. This variable response to medication is due to the 24 hour biological clock or circadian rhythm of the body say experts.

23 Oct 2019

Prolonged exposure to blue light may affect longevity

Prolonged exposure to blue light, such as that which emanates from your phone, computer and household fixtures, could be affecting your longevity, even if it's not shining in your eyes.

17 Oct 2019

Genetic oscillator captures changes in gut microbiome growth patterns

For all the attention the human microbiome has been getting over the last few years, one aspect of such research rarely makes headlines: the difficulty of observing how it changes over time in response to various stimuli.

11 Oct 2019

Researchers identify an immune cell that helps keep time in the gut

As people go through their daily and nightly routines, their digestive tracts follow a routine, too: digesting food and absorbing nutrients during waking hours, and replenishing worn-out cells during sleep. Shift work and jet lag can knock sleep schedules and digestive rhythms out of whack.

4 Oct 2019

Duration and timing of sleep differ by age, geographical region and gender

In an exceptionally extensive worldwide study on sleep, nearly a quarter of a million nights of sleep were measured among sleepers ranging between 16 and 30 years of age.

27 Sep 2019