Circadian Rhythms

Combining a light treatment with cognitive behavior therapy has resulted in a sample of teenagers increasing their total sleep time by 45 minutes a night.

Spraying crops with weed-killer is not only harmful to the environment, but it's also costly for farmers. With those problems in mind, scientists have conducted a study which suggests that less herbicide could be used for the same results, if applied at the right time of day.

​It's already commonly thought that a warm bath before going to bed helps improve your sleep. A new meta-study has apparently confirmed this to be the case, however, and has even come up with exact figures regarding the best times and temperatures.

A detailed study has offered new insight into how disrupting circadian rhythms can promote tumor growth. The research also suggests that the efficacy of cancer therapies can be improved by more specifically timing the administration of certain drugs to a patient’s particular circadian rhythm.

​There’s plenty to be said about the negative health effects of jet lag, but could a journey through the clouds have a silver lining? New research suggests that indeed it might, uncovering evidence that disruptions to circadian clocks can have a protective effect on neurons.

Researchers have performed the first ever analysis of circadian rhythms within fat cells, finding they appear to have body clocks of their own and use them to share the heavy lifting throughout the day.

A new study has revealed an experimental new drug can stop cancer cells from growing by disrupting their internal circadian clock. The novel cancer-battling concept has only been tested in mice but it suggests an entirely new technique to stifle growth in this devastatingly prolific disease.

In one of the most comprehensive studies to date examining teenage sleep patterns and high school start times, it's been revealed that later starts increased sleep duration and improved overall attendance and grades.

A study from researchers at the Salk Institute has uncovered a profound new insight into how our circadian rhythms are regulated through light-sensing mechanisms within our eyes. The research could lead to new ways to combat insomnia and help people with disrupted circadian rhythms.

A new study has revealed that our bodies burn calories at different rates throughout the day. The research, evaluating energy expenditure during resting states, suggests our circadian clock plays a major part in regulating metabolism.

​We all know that our body has an "internal clock" which determines when various daily biological processes take place. Problems can occur, however, if that clock is out of sync with the actual time of day. A simple new blood test can reportedly determine if that's the case.

A number of observational studies have suggested that sleep loss or disrupted circadian rhythms are associated with obesity, diabetes and other dysfunctional metabolic conditions. A study is now offering evidence that helps explain how tissue-level molecular changes are brought on by sleep loss.