And How To Align Our Lives With Nature’s Cycle
Circadian rhythm, derived from the Latin words meaning "around a day," refers to the internal clock shared by many living beings, including humans, animals, plants, and even bacteria. This rhythm roughly aligns with a 24-hour cycle, guiding essential functions throughout the day and night.
At its core, a circadian rhythm regulates vital processes like sleep-wake cycles, hormone secretion, appetite cues, digestion, body temperature, and disease progression. It's like a finely tuned orchestra conductor, orchestrating a symphony of biological activities.
Sunlight plays a crucial role in regulating circadian rhythms. In vertebrates, including humans and pets, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the brain's hypothalamus acts as the "master clock." When light enters the eye, it triggers a message through the optic nerve to the SCN, signaling whether it's day or night and helping synchronize our biological clocks.
Every cell in your pet's body has its own clock.
Maintaining this rhythm is paramount. This is why catching the sunrise isn't just picturesque - it's a way to set our biological clocks each day, promoting cellular health and overall well-being.
Remember, circadian rhythms operate at a cellular level, controlled by a complex interplay of genes and proteins. This intricate dance of transcription factors dictates when cells produce hormones, repair DNA, utilize energy, and rest, ensuring that each cell functions harmoniously with the body's overarching rhythm.
In molecular biology, a transcription factor (TF) is a protein that controls the rate of transcription of genetic information from DNA to messenger RNA, by binding to a specific DNA sequence. The function of TFs is to regulate - turn on and off - genes in order to make sure that they are expressed in the desired cells at the right time and in the right amount throughout the life of the cell and the organism.
However, disrupting this delicate dance can lead to discord. Shift work, late-night screen glows, urban lights, or clock gene alterations can throw off our circadian rhythms, paving the way for health challenges like cancer and depression. And yes, our pets are also affected - disruptions in their circadian rhythms can manifest as illness or behavior issues, underscoring the profound impact these rhythms have on all life.
Understanding and respecting these natural rhythms isn't just about living in tune with nature - it's about safeguarding our health and the well-being of our furry companions, ensuring that each day unfolds as nature intended, in perfect harmony with the rhythms of life.
How to Support Your Pet's (and your own) Circadian Rhythm
The following is important for disease prevention, but becomes even more paramount if you have a sick animal.
Get up every morning and watch the sunrise for 15 to 30 minutes with your pets. Go for a walk or relax in the yard.
Turn off Wi-Fi router at night and any other time not being used.
Turn off all unnecessary lights in the day and especially at night. Do not use over head lighting at night.
Replace LED light bulbs with incandescent where ever possible. Better yet, replace and only use red bulbs at night.
Use room darkening curtains where your pets sleep to reduce blue light at night
Remove the cell phone from your bedroom and/or the space where your pet is sleeping. DO NOT work on your phone or charge the phone with your pet on your lap or next to you.
Always crack a window to let in sunlight when working on the computer for your pet and your health. Better yet go outside to work.
Encouraging your pets to spend 4 to 6 hours outdoors in natural sunlight daily can greatly benefit their health. (Although, in our modern era, achieving this can be challenging, and it's likely a significant factor contributing to declining pet health.)
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Going to be changing up the daily routine to include sunrises- it'll be a great way to 'beat the heat' that's coming our way too! ☀️