Circadian Clock

Human sleep-wake cycle is dictated by an inner time-keeping machinery device, of combination of hormonal activities and enzyme action. As achieved by optimal body rest and minimal arousal to stimuli, sleep, a human physiologic need, is recently taken for granted in recent times. For reasons that may include physical activities, emotional instability or hormonal imbalance, sleep deprivation might cause fatigue, confusion, or mental disturbance at extreme cases.

Lack of a considerable amount of sleep makes the brain unsuitable to respond to emotional events resulting from neuronal activity. Furthermore, extended wakefulness periods, also affects growth, as it impairs hypothalamic-pituitary activity. Regeneration of certain parts of the body is achieved by sleep, making the human body achieve more energy and function optimally. With this physiologic need not attained, weakening of immune responses and metabolic failure might lead to death.

Activities of recent existence have made humans work twice as much as they previously do and more often than not, we fail to respond to our bodily call to rest and recuperate. Symptoms might be negligible as the deterioration moves in a rather slower pace, soon enough, the body will demand a repay for the degree of sleep debt one has.