Ever wonder about being a night owl or a morning lark? Dive into the funky world of circadian rhythms as we explore the science behind your body’s internal party planner. It’s like having a DJ that chooses when it’s time to boogie and when it’s time to hit the hay. …and here’s why it matters:
There is a whole community of structures in the brain that “wake up” and “hit the dance floor” once the sun rises and sounds the master alarm clock in your brain. The pituitary gland begins to shake and groove preparing for its night job of secreting hormones responsible for cellular growth and repair and for the immune fighters to report to their various posts starting at 8pm and ending at 4am. Where does it get all of this energy from to prep during the day and disco inferno at night? Well, stored fat burned while you sleep, of course! Two of its good friends, the hypothalamus (also helps govern appetite, body temperature, growth/ repair, blood pressure, cortisol & immunity) and the pineal gland (responsible for releasing sleep neurochemicals) move to the beat as well.
Fun fact: If sleep is deprived (night owls, nightshift workers, etc.), fat is not burned over night to fuel the pituitary (& its friends), it misses its opportunity to work, and growth & repair hormones as well as the immune fighters are out of groove. The result? Increased chances of illness, inflammation and weight gain. Ugh! Who wants that?!
