Circadian Rhythm and Sleep Disruption: Causes, Metabolic Consequences, and Countermeasures.

ABSTRACT: Circadian (∼24-hour) timing systems pervade all kingdoms of life and temporally optimize behavior and physiology in humans. Relatively recent changes to our environments, such as the introduction of artificial lighting, can disorganize the circadian system, from the level of the molecular clocks that regulate the timing of cellular activities to the level of synchronization between our daily cycles of behavior and the solar day. Sleep/wake cycles are intertwined with the circadian system, and global trends indicate that these, too, are increasingly subject to disruption. A large proportion of the world's population is at increased risk of environmentally driven circadian rhythm and sleep disruption, and a minority of individuals are also genetically predisposed to circadian misalignment an

SUBMITTER: Potter GD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5142605 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature