Circadian Rhythm Disorders

Cir­ca­di­an rhythm dis­or­ders are dis­rup­tions in your sleep/​wake cycle that have neg­a­tive impacts to your dai­ly activ­i­ties. You have an inter­nal clock, your cir­ca­di­an rhythm, that reg­u­lates cer­tain bio­log­i­cal func­tions over a 24-hour peri­od. This rhythm can be inter­rupt­ed by count­less out­side fac­tors in your envi­ron­ment such as stress, med­ica­tions, trav­el, kids, ill­ness, or your job. When your sleep-wake cycle is out of sync, you may have dif­fi­cul­ty sleep­ing, and the qual­i­ty of your sleep may be poor. If left untreat­ed, cir­ca­di­an rhythm dis­or­ders may increase the risk of cer­tain health prob­lems or lead to work­place and road accidents.