EP 1,218B - Circadian Rhythms: What are they, how they work, and why they are so important

We’re all tired. We feel sluggish and unfocused and out of sync with our bodies. We know that circadian rhythms are important, but we aren’t exactly sure how they work. Instead, we’re bombarded with solutions—blue-light blocking glasses, melatonin, light lamps, complicated eating schedules—without a clear explanation of the problem they’re solving or the science behind them. The truth is circadian rhythms are a bigger part of our lives than we ever realized. Their wide-ranging effects can boggle the mind, and researchers are just starting to discover exactly how they function—and how much our modern lives have thrown them out of whack. It’s time to give up that late-night TikTok doom scrolling. Science writer Lynne Peeples is here to help us reclaim the rhythms that profoundly affect our health and well-being in her groundbreaking book THE INNER CLOCK: Living in Sync with Our Circadian Rhythms (Riverhead Books; On Sale September 24, 2024) which has already received glowing praise (below) from James Nestor, Daniel Pink, Mary Roach, Dan Fagin, Deborah Blum and more.

Misaligned circadian rhythm disrupt sleep, reduce productivity, and raise the risk of serious, life-threatening ailments. Our bodies are full of tiny timepieces synchronized to the sun and subtle signals in our environment, but they’re up against modern insults like artificial light, contrived time zones, and late-night meals that wreak havoc on our internal clocks and health. THE INNER CLOCK explores the emerging and fascinating science behind circadian rhythms and its transformative applications. Peeples seeks out the scientists, astronauts, athletes, and patients at the forefront of a growing movement. We learn about experts and enthusiasts experimenting with their circadian clocks, with surprising results. Alongside rigorous reporting, Peeples tests the research as she sleeps in a Cold War–era bunker, chases the midnight sun, spits into test tubes, and wears high-tech light sensors to decipher what makes our internal clocks tick and how we can reset them for the better. She discusses everything from jet lag to aging connections with our circadian rhythms, productivity and athletic performance peaks to connections between circadian rhythms and our gut microbiome and even Alzheimer’s disease.