What is a Circadian Rhythm? 

The Sleep Foundation describes the circadian rhythm as  “24-hour cycles that are part of the body’s internal clock, running in the background to carry out essential functions and processes. One of the most important and well-known circadian rhythms is the sleep-wake cycle” 

Healthline states that, “Your circadian rhythm helps control your daily schedule for sleep and wakefulness. This rhythm is tied to your 24-hour body clock, and most living things have one. Your circadian rhythm is influenced by outside things like light and dark, as well as other factors. Your brain receives signals based on your environment and activates certain hormones, alters your body temperature, and regulates your metabolism to keep you alert or draw you to sleep” 

It is a well-known fact that the Circadian rhythms exists in all living organisms and is the key to nurturing life itself. Take for example, the opening and closing of certain flowers at the right time of the day to let bees pollinate – that is the circadian rhythm at work! 

Effects of the Circadian Rhythm on an adult human body 

A fully functional adult faces body tiredness between 2 AM to 4 AM and between 1 PM to 3 PM in the evening. A consistent circadian rhythm is achieved by healthy, ritualistic habits. Most adults are able to achieve the right sleep-wake cycle by practicing sleep meditation and keeping a well-practiced sleep hygiene. The most prominent circadian rhythm is the sleep-wake cycle and each individual has their own individual pattern when it comes to ascertaining one’s circadian rhythm! 

The Sleep Foundation opines the very fact that, “when people talk about circadian rhythm, it’s most often in the context of sleep. The sleep-wake cycle is one of the most clear and critical examples of the importance of circadian rhythms.

During the day, light exposure causes the master clock to send signals that generate alertness8 and help keep us awake and active. As night falls, the master clock initiates the production of melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep, and then keeps transmitting signals that help us stay asleep through the night”

What leads to a disruption in the Circadian Rhythm? 

Various sleep analysts have observed in recent times that the circadian rhythm just does not affect our sleep-wake cycle but also metabolism and blood sugar levels. Certain internal biological disorders have the power to disrupt an individual’s circadian rhythm. Some of the most common disorders that affect the circadian rhythm are : 

• Advanced  Sleep Phase Disorder, wherein an individual feels tired, sleeps early in the evening and is awake and active at the crack of dawn. This disruptive disorder is rare and affects only 1% of the middle aged population. 
• In Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder, an individual sleeps quite late in the night and wakes up later in the day. This disruption is seen amongst 16% of teenagers mainly. 

Effects of an out-of-whack Circadian Rhythm

Lifestyle choices and sleeping patterns tend to push an individual’s circadian rhythm out of sync. A disrupted circadian rhythm can greatly affect the quality of life. A strained sleep-wake cycle can cause serious sleeping disorders. If the body does not receive the signal to sleep right on time, then it becomes difficult to fall asleep at the right time. 

It has also been discovered that a disrupted circadian rhythm is one of the leading causes of obstructive sleep apnea, a sleeping disorder that paves the way for radical mental and physical complications. 

All in all, a disrupted circadian rhythm affects our sleeping patterns the most. It is of utmost importance to maintain the right sleep-wake balance in order to keep our bodily functions at pace and at an optimum level. 

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It is a well established, much-ignored fact that a good night’s sleep is the answer to most of your nascent, underlying mental and physical health problems. But is merely sleeping 8 hours enough? Of course not. The quality of sleep is of vital importance including the part of how and when you wake up. 

More often than not, we tend to dismiss ‘sleep inertia’ as waking up on the wrong side of the bed aka feeling groggy and lethargic the whole day. Sleep inertia occurs when you wake up in the REM stage of your sleep cycle, which is acknowledged to be the deepest sleep an individual could be in. It is essential to wake up in the lightest stage of your sleep, in order to avoid sleep inertia completely. 8 hours of uninterrupted, sound sleep is what helps repair the wear and tears of our bodies. 

How does iBand+ work? 

The iBand+ is a non-invasive headband that is equipped to sense your brainwaves and head movements. Thanks to its smart auto-learning algorithm, It intelligently understands your sleeping pattern and cycle. Then, accordingly adjusts the music and volume as you fall asleep.  Thus making you fall asleep easily and wake naturally. The iBand+ makes clever use of soothing music, an age-old technique to guided forms of meditation, relaxation, and sleep therapy. The whole idea is to enable you to sleep better and not longer! 

The iBand+ comes with a high-fidelity, compact pair of speakers that go underneath your pillow with ease. The RGB LEDs on the headband plus the speakers work seamlessly together to deliver audio-visual stimuli, keeping in mind the comfort of the user: 

• The music played via the pillow speakers soothes the mind and induces sleep stages naturally. 
• Once you enter the deep stage from light, the music is slowly turned down and white noise is introduced to help deepen sleep. This masks any surrounding distraction and helps you achieve that desired optimal level of deep sleep. 
• The iBand+ elevates and prolongs the REM phase of your sleep cycle, thus automatically improving the quality of your deep sleep stage. 

Know More About Your Sleep!

The Sleep Foundation right states that ‘sleep duration is important, but it’s not the end-all, be-all. Sleep quality is another critical factor to consider, and it is closely connected with sleep continuity and avoiding sleep disruptions. Fragmented sleep marked by numerous awakenings can interfere with the ability to properly move through the sleep cycle, decreasing time spent in the most restorative stages of sleep’ 

When it comes to regulating sleeping patterns, knowledge is power. The more you are familiar with your sleeping patterns, irregularities and trends the better it is to rectify any anomalies that might just be causing mental and physical health issues. The iband+ helps you understand your sleep hygiene in an effective manner you can most ardently act upon. Right before you go to sleep, select your preferred audio from pre-loaded instrumental, nature, and water tones – all included n the iBand+ app! 

Electroencephalography (EEG) is an electrophysiological monitoring method to record the electrical activity of the brain. The iBand+ uses this very technology non-invasively of course, that senses your brainwaves and then adjusts the audio-visual cues to suit those very needs, simply put! It is also possible to view this data in real-time, even during sleep meditation. 

Learn more about your sleep the way you’ve probably never thought of before. A productive day starts with a great night’s sleep. Improved sleep greatly improves the quality of life. Invest in a sleeping aid high-tech that not just helps you sleep, but also elevates its quality to let you lead a balanced life. 

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If there is even an inkling or a shred of doubt in your mind that you are suffering from certain forms of sleeping disorders, guided sleep meditation along with clinical treatment is the answer you’ve been looking for. Living with a sleeping disorder or even disturbed sleep for that matter, for more than 30 days can prove to be quite detrimental to your mental as well as physical health. 

Sleep hygiene is extremely vital to get a non-intrusive, undisturbed sleep. Time, bedroom settings, food consumption, the way you wake up,  play an important role in maintaining sleep hygiene. Meditation can be an added, much-needed tool in your sleep hygiene arsenal. 

What is Sleep Meditation?

Healthline observes that ‘when you meditate, a variety of physiological changes occur. These changes initiate sleep by influencing specific processes in your body. 

For example, in a 2015 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine Trusted Source researchers analyzed how mindfulness meditation affected 49 adults with moderate sleep issues. The participants were randomly assigned 6 weeks of meditation or sleep hygiene education. At the end of the study, the meditation group experienced fewer insomnia symptoms and less daytime fatigue’ 

Marie Claire suggests that ‘sleep meditation is a state between being awake and sleeping, where you put yourself in a ‘yogic sleep’, essentially a state in which the body is completely relaxed but mentally aware. Known as Yoga Nidra (meaning sleep in Sanskrit), it is used as a relaxation method (or meditation) for the mind, body, and soul’ 

Yoga International weighs in by stating that ‘Yoga Nidra, or yogic sleep as it is commonly known, is an immensely powerful meditation technique, and one of the easiest yoga practices to develop and maintain. While the practitioner rests comfortably in savasana (corpse pose), this systematic meditation takes you through the pancha maya kosha (five layers of self), leaving you with a sense of wholeness’ 

The key difference between meditative sleep and normal sleep is that your subconscious mind takes over when you sleep without practicing sleep meditation. The ancient Hindu practice of ‘Yoga Nidra’ (roughly translated as sleep meditation) aims to keep the conscious mind awake while in a state of sleep. Yoga Nidra follows the workings of the mind, thus paving the way for organically induced sleep. 

Training your mind 

Sleep meditation is easy to practice a form of meditation that eventually trains your mind. It is of extreme importance to know that there is a virtual, no ‘wrong’ way of practicing sleep meditation. Individuals aged 5 to 75 can practice this as it has zero side effects and the efforts needed to take are minimal and wholly satisfying. 

There are various ways to practice sleep meditation and training your mind to do so. Yoga International simplifies it by suggesting the following practice: ‘as you lie down, supported in savasana, all you have to do is follow the voice that is guiding you. It’s likely that you will remember certain parts of the meditation and not others. Every time you come to the practice you encounter a new experience—none of which is wrong. Falling asleep is okay too, as you will still receive benefits while the unconscious mind is absorbing the practice’ 

The above-mentioned method can possibly take a while to master and incorporate in day to day life. Even so, thanks to technological advances there are certain devices that can not only help you practice sleep meditation daily but also help you track sleeping patterns. Take, for example, the iBand+ : 

Practicing Sleep Meditation with the iBand+ 

The iBand+ consists of various features that can help induce an undeterred sleep. And not just that, the iBand+ helps you wake up peacefully without the dreaded snooze-sleep-snooze ritual! 

• Relieve your mind and body of everyday stress by relaxing using the sleep meditation technique of the iband+ Increase your sense of calm by listening to soothing sounds and visuals that can be customized as per your mood and vibe!
• Prepare yourself for lucid dreaming with the iBand+ sleep meditation feature with brainwave entrainment audio-visual technique. 
• Are you looking to inculcate lucid dreaming in your sleep/dream schedule? With sleep meditation define the dream cues, set the dream intention, and increase self-awareness in your dreams – crucial preparation tactics to become and stay lucid in your dreams.

As you foray into the depths of sleep meditation, it is important to be aware of the fact that – the whole objective behind sleep meditation is to achieve a state of calm that eventually puts you off to sleep. The ability to control your mind and stay lucid whilst sleeping in order to improve the health of the mind is the agenda.

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Extensive research tells us that our body repairs its wear and tear on a daily basis while we are asleep and that an average adult needs 8-9 hours of undisturbed, sound sleep to function at an optimum level. 

That includes all the vital organs of the body including our very own skin. Need your skin to stop breaking out? Sleep at least 7-8 hours and see the results for yourselves. Want to rid yourselves of progressive acid refluxes and regular indigestion? Go to bed at a designated, reasonable hour every night and mark the difference in a week! Working out proving not as effective for weight-loss? Get that good night’s sleep every day of the week and expect great results coupled with balanced mental and physical health. 

The Sleep Foundation right states that ‘sleep duration is important, but it’s not the end-all, be-all. Sleep quality is another critical factor to consider, and it is closely connected with sleep continuity and avoiding sleep disruptions. Fragmented sleep marked by numerous awakenings can interfere with the ability to properly move through the sleep cycle6, decreasing time spent in the most restorative stages of sleep’ 

Our brain merely does not ‘shut down’ during sleep as per popular myths, but shifts in brain activity during sleep are believed to be part of why sleep is critical to effective thinking, memory, and even emotional processing. 

Waking up – the most important part of your sleep cycle! 

The optimal duration of a sleep cycle is divided into 3 stages – light sleep, deep sleep, and rapid eye movement. The body tends to pass between these stages a number of times during the tenure of our sleep cycle. Did you know waking up in the lightest stage of your sleep is the BEST time to wake up? If this does not occur, we tend to wake up on the ‘wrong side of the bed’ Irritability, lack of focus, fatigue is usually associated with waking up suddenly from a deep sleep. The solution to this is NOT setting an alarm on your smartphone, but rather relying on a sleep device like the iBand+ The problem with waking up to your phone’s alarm is that the device is not aware of the sleep stage you might just be in. 

That’s where the Smart Alarm feature of the iBand+ comes into play. This feature is one of the most advanced alarm features available in the market right now. This alarm wakes you up at a gradual speed with simulated sunlight and sounds at the most optimal hour of your sleep cycle, so you wake up as fresh as a daisy, devoid of any sort of groggy, sluggish feeling. 

Find the best way to go to sleep!

Did you know – sleeping to soothing music is one of the oldest sleep-inducing techniques known to mankind? Soothing, celestial music is also used for relaxation and achieving a meditative state of mind. The iBand+ comes with high fidelity compact and slim pillow speakers that go underneath your pillow.  The purpose of these speakers is to play soothing music that calms your mind and eventually puts you to sleep on a gradual note. Thanks to the iBand+’s smart auto-learning algorithm, it tracks your brainwaves,  head movement, and intelligently adjusts the volume of the music.  All this is happening, while you fall asleep! Brilliant, isn’t it? The iBand+ plays upon your sleep stages. As you enter from the light to the deep stage of your sleep, it then gently introduces white noise that cancels out any distractions ensuring a sound, able sleep that actually helps. Bid adieu to want ‘more sleep’ and make way for better sleep, which is exactly what we need to lead a healthy, wealthy life. 

Knowing  your sleep hygiene with the iBand+ 

Brainwaves

Electroencephalography (EEG) is an electrophysiological monitoring method to record the electrical activity of the brain. The iBand+ uses this very technology non-invasively of course, that senses your brainwaves and then adjusts the audio-visual cues to suit those very needs, simply put! It is also possible to view this data in real-time during sleep meditation. 

Brainwave entrainment is the ability of the brain to naturally synchronize brain waves with steady rhythmic external stimuli like light and sound. iBand+ sleep meditation with brainwave entrainment conditions your brain to associate these rhythmic audio-visual stimuli with your dreams. 

iBand+’s  Sleep Meditation feature with the brainwave entrainment technique is an excellent way to train your brain for lucid dreaming. This self-awareness in dreams is the key to lucid dreaming, and iBand+ is your perfect guide to achieve it!

Sleep insights 

Sleep information related to self is of utmost importance in order to identify problems with sleeping and eventually finding a way to act on them. The iBand+ presents this information on a daily basis and makes it extremely easy to interpret and act upon. 

Customizations 

When it comes to sleep optimization with the iBand+, customization of audio-visual cues is key. LED light patterns, colors can all be set according to the way you prefer!

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The study of circadian rhythm is attributed to the field of chronobiology. Chronobiology is the study of biological rhythms and is heavily based on the effects of time on internal events and internal biological clocks. 

The National Cancer Institute defines Circadian Rhythm as, ‘the natural cycle of physical, mental, and behavior changes that the body goes through in a 24-hour cycle. Circadian rhythms are mostly affected by light and darkness and are controlled by a small area in the middle of the brain. They can affect sleep, body temperature, hormones, appetite, and other body functions. Abnormal circadian rhythms may be linked to obesity, diabetes, depression, bipolar disorder, seasonal affective disorder, and sleep disorders such as insomnia. Circadian rhythm is sometimes called the “body’s clock” 

Healthline states that ‘your circadian rhythm helps control your daily schedule for sleep and wakefulness. This rhythm is tied to your 24-hour body clock, and most living things have one. Your circadian rhythm is influenced by outside things like light and dark, as well as other factors. Your brain receives signals based on your environment and activates certain hormones, alters your body temperature, and regulates your metabolism to keep you alert or draw you to sleep’ 

National Institute Of General Medical Sciences explains, ‘circadian rhythms are physical, mental, and behavioral changes that follow a 24-hour cycle. These natural processes respond primarily to light and dark and affect most living things, including animals, plants, and microbes. Chronobiology is the study of circadian rhythms. One example of a light-related circadian rhythm is sleeping at night and being awake during the day’

The study of circadian rhythms has been conducted over a long period of time, just under different terms and conditions. But just like all phenomena related to Chronobiology, there is certainly crucial information and guidelines that one must know about, pertaining to why and how it affects people of all ages. 

1. In 2017, 3 researchers funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences won the Nobel prize for researching circadian rhythms by studying, observing, and analyzing fruit flies. Fruit flies share similar genetic makeup to that of human beings, wherein they isolate a gene to control the body’s clock. The 3 scientists proved that this gene produces protein overnight and then breaks down the next day. This process in turn affects normal bodily functions of the body – sleeping, sharpness of the brain, hunger, and so on. 
2. Many bodily parts and components make up an individual’s biological rhythms and the circadian rhythm is one of such biological rhythms. The prime example being their brain cells responding light and dark, letting the eyes capture environmental changes in the surroundings. That is exactly how your body knows when it is time to be awake and fall asleep. 
3. Hormones like Melatonin and Cortisol are one of the key elements of a person’s circadian rhythm. Their levels may vary. Cortisol is produced extensively during the day and melatonin is released in large amounts at night facilitating a feeling of sleepiness. 
4. Metabolism, body temperature is also based quite a lot on the circadian rhythm. Temperature decreases when we are not awake and metabolism keeps changing during the course of the day. Thus metabolism and body temperature form a vital part of an individual’s circadian rhythm. 
5. Other factors like working hours, lifestyle choices, surroundings, and habits also influence circadian rhythms. It is of extreme importance to live a life in a balance of physical and mental activities to achieve the optimum benefits of one’s circadian cycles. 
6. Newborns do not develop a circadian rhythm till they reach to be a few months old, as a result, their sleeping schedules are quite disruptive in the very first few weeks of their life. This may also result in crying, being cranky, and moody at times. Healthline says that ‘toddlers and children have a fairly regulated sleep schedule once their circadian rhythm and corresponding body functions mature. Children need about 9 or 10 hours of sleep a night’
7. Adults face tiredness the most between 2 AM to 4 AM and 1 PM to 3 PM during the day. Melatonin is released every night in a fully grown adult’s body and hence, it is advised to get at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep during night time, especially for this particular hormonal release to be entirely fruitful. Though with age, the levels keep decreasing and increasing at great lengths, causing aged persons to sleep earlier during night time. 

It is of vital importance to be responsive to one’s circadian rhythms to lead a hale and hearty life, devoid of fatal complications. It has a direct effect on our sleep cycles, which are crucial to our normal bodily functions. 

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