Circadian Rhythm Disorders: Symptoms, Treatment & Types
You go to bed tired.
You wake up tired.
Somewhere between morning and night, your body loses its signal of time. What looks like insomnia, might be something deeper than that- one that makes you exhausted, uneasy and unhealthy.
Ever heard of Circadian Rhythm disorders? If not, let us see what it is?
What are Circadian Rhythm Disorders?
Your body has a natural cycle known as Circadian rhythm. Your internal clock, called a circadian clock, cycles about every 24 hours. These repeating 24-hour cycles are called the circadian rhythm. Circadian Rhythm Disorders also known as sleep-wake cycle disorders are the one that is caused due to the problems in your circadian rhythm. When your body wants to sleep but the sleep-wake cycle is out of sync this is when such problems occur. Disruptions in your sleep-wake cycle may indicate that you have circadian rhythm disorder. Circadian Rhythm disorder can be a long-term disorder often associated with age, genetic conditions and a few underlying medical conditions. Medications containing Modafinil such as Modafil MD 200 mg is usually prescribed for such disorders.
Types
There are different types of Circadian Rhythm disorders which are completely based on wakefulness and the sleeping patterns. Few of the types are:
- Advanced sleep-wake phase Disorder:
Ever seen a person sleeping early in the evening and rising up too early in the morning? He or she might be fighting against Advanced Sleep-wake phase Disorder. This is usually seen in elderly patients. It can cause trouble in staying awake in the evening and can affect people who attend school, work or have social responsibilities.
- Delayed sleep-wake phase Disorder:
This is completely opposite to Advanced Sleep-wake disorder. Could you guess what is different here?
Let me break that down for you. Delayed sleep-wake Disorder is the one where an individual may find it difficult to sleep at time in the evening and even more difficult to wake up in the morning. As you sleep late in the night and have to get up early it can lead to daytime tiredness or anxiety.
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- Irregular sleep-wake rhythm disorder:
Several short periods of sleep and wakefulness are often related to Irregular sleep-wake disorder. Due to this you may not sleep completely at night which will lead to multiple naps during the day due to sleepiness. You may feel tired due to lack of sleep.
- Jet lag Disorder
Jet Lag is disruption of the bodys circadian cycle that occurs when the body travels different time zones. This is often a temporary condition. It can last from a few days to a few weeks. Not everyone is affected by jet lag to the same degree. Trip itinerary and individual factors can affect the severity and duration of jet lag. It is usually worse when travelling to the east as compared to the west.
- Non-24-hour sleep-wake rhythm disorder
You know that your circadian cycle is for 24 hours. When your sleep-wake rhythm is not in sync with the 24 hours cycle it causes Non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder. When such disorders occur, your sleep time eventually delays more than imagined. For some people, the sleep item may be delayed until noon rather than night. This often happens when the light exposure is limited, it is majorly seen in people who are completely blind as there is no light exposure. You may have periods of insomnia and daytime sleepiness, followed by periods with no symptoms, when your circadian rhythms happen to align with your environment.
- Shift Worker Insomnia
Shift work disorder affects those who work during the night or on a rotating schedule. Because of your work schedule, you may not be able to get uninterrupted quality sleep when your body needs it. Shift work disorder can cause insomnia, extreme tiredness and sleepiness while working at night. It is seen commonly among healthcare workers, call-centre employees, factory workers.
All these types of disorders can be treated by drugs like Modafil MD 200 mg. Make sure to consult your physician before taking any medication.
Symptoms
Symptoms of these disorders may vary depending on the type of disorder. You may experience:
- Insomnia
- Difficulty in staying awake
- Sleepiness during the day
- Taking frequent naps during the day
- Difficulty in falling asleep
- Lethargy
- Extreme tiredness and exhaustion
- Difficulty in concentrating
- Headaches
- Impaired judgment in risky situations, such as while driving, and trouble controlling mood and emotions
- Stomach problems in people who experience jet lag
- Depression
- Decreased alertness
Diagnosis
Circadian disorders are diagnosed based on the combination of few techniques like:
- Questionnaires, medical history: The healthcare provider will ask you a few questions based on your medical history, symptoms, sleep schedule, issues affecting your work or personal life. Usage of caffeine, alcohol, smoking, etc. is also asked.
- Physical examinations
- Neurological examination
- Lab testing: This includes tests like saliva tests, blood and urine tests. The doctors look for the levels of hormones and other markers that might indicate the cause or type of circadian rhythm disorder you have.
- Actigraphy: It is a test that your doctors may recommend. It involves wearing a small sensory machine for 3 to 14 days wherein it monitors your sleep-wake cycles. Many of these devices look like a wristwatch, and you wear them like one.
- Imaging scans: MRI or CT scans may help diagnose conditions that could be causing or contributing to a circadian rhythm disorder.
- Sleep logs: Your doctor might ask you to keep a sleep log or a diary to note down your sleep schedule.
- Sleep studies: Sleep studies also known as polysomnography are painless tests that are done to measure how well you sleep and how your body responds to sleep problems. They are also used to help your doctor diagnose sleep disorders.
Other tests may also be possible depending on your symptoms and what your healthcare provider suspects. Your provider can tell you more about the specific tests they recommend and why they think these tests will be helpful.
Key Causes and Risk Factors
- Age:
Age plays a major role in the circadian rhythm disorder as there are changes in the brain due to age changes. Teens may naturally have a later bedtime than adults, which raises their risk for delayed sleep-wake phase disorder. Older adults usually go to sleep and wake up early. This raises their risk for advanced sleep-wake phase disorder. Older adults are also at higher risk for shift work disorder and jet lag disorder.
- Environmental changes:
Usual travel around different countries affect the circadian cycle of the body which brings in disorders related to the issue.
- Occupation:
Occupation is becoming an increasing cause for the disorders related to sleep-wake cycle. People who work during the night have a higher risk for shift work disorder.
- Genetics:
Your genetic preference of an early or late bedtime can raise your risk for advanced or delayed sleep-wake phase disorder if your rhythm is out of sync with your environment or social responsibilities. Changes in the genes that control your circadian rhythm, called circadian clock genes, can also raise your risk.
- Sedentary Lifestyle:
Factors such as alcohol consumption, caffeine overuse, frequent long- distance travelling, illegal drug use, lack of natural light exposure during the day, unhealthy sleep habits, usage of mobile phones at odd hours, bright screen exposures all these factors lead to circadian disorder.
- Medical Conditions:
Several medical conditions can increase your risk for circadian rhythm disorders, including:
- Autism spectrum disorders
- Certain genetic conditions, such as Smith-Magennis syndrome, Angelman syndrome, and Huntington’s disease
- Conditions that affect eyesight, such as blindness and macular degeneration, which raise the risk for non-24-hour sleep-wake rhythm disorder
- Conditions that cause damage to the brain, such as traumatic brain injuries, strokes and brain tumours.
- Mental health conditions, such as bipolar disorder, major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and schizophrenia, which raise the risk of delayed sleep-wake phase disorders.
- Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and Parkinson’s disease are more common in older adults and can increase the risk for irregular sleep-wake phase disorder.
- Sex:
Men are more likely to have advanced sleep-wake phase disorder than women.
Women may be more likely to experience circadian rhythm disorders at certain stages of life.
- Hormonal changes that happen during pregnancy, after childbirth, and at menopause can cause problems with sleep.
- Discomfort during pregnancy may also prevent good-quality sleep.
- Post-partum, sleep interruptions and nighttime exposure to light while caring for a newborn can increase your risk for circadian rhythm disorders.
Treatment
Healthy lifestyle changes
- Keep a regular meal schedule
- Start a regular bedtime routine.
- Avoid daytime naps, especially in the afternoon.
- Get regular physical activity.
- Limit caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and some medicines,
- Manage your exposure to light.
Light therapy
With this approach, you plan time each day to sit in front of a light box, which produces bright light similar to sunlight. Light visors and light glasses may also be effective. Light therapy may help adjust how much melatonin your body makes to reset your sleep-wake cycle.
- To move your sleep and wake times earlier, use the light box when you wake up in the morning. This may also help reduce daytime sleepiness. This method may be used to help treat delayed sleep-wake phase disorder, irregular sleep-wake rhythm disorder, and jet lag disorder when you travel east.
- To move your sleep and wake times later, use the light box late in the afternoon or early in the evening. This method may be used to help treat advanced sleep-wake phase disorder, shift work disorder, and jet lag disorder when you travel west.
Side effects of light therapy may include agitation, eye strain, headaches, migraines, and nausea. Ask your doctor before using light therapy if you have an eye condition or use medicines that make you sensitive to light.
Medicines or supplements
- Your doctor may recommend melatonin medicines or supplements to help align your sleep-wake cycle with your environment.
- Sleep-promoting medicines, such as benzodiazepines and zolpidem, can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. These medicines may cause side effects and complications, such as muscle weakness and confusion, that may be more severe in older adults and people who have dementia.
- Wake-promoting medicines, such as Modafil MD 200 mg can help you stay alert and improve performance during shift work. The effects of these medicines may last only for a short time, and you may still experience some sleepiness.
Takeaway: When Time Breaks, Health Follows
Circadian rhythm disorders are not just about poor sleep-they are about a body that has lost its sense of time. When your internal clock falls out of sync, fatigue becomes constant, focus weakens, moods fluctuate, and overall health slowly erodes. What begins as “just tiredness” can quietly grow into anxiety, depression, metabolic problems, and reduced quality of life.
The good news is that circadian rhythm disorders are recognizable, manageable, and often reversible. With proper diagnosis, lifestyle correction, light management, and medical guidance, the body can relearn its rhythm. Sleep doesn’t have to feel like a daily battle. Sometimes, healing begins by simply teaching your body when it’s time to rest and when it’s time to wake. Listening to your body clock may be one of the most important health decisions you ever make.
FAQs
- Are circadian rhythm disorders the same as insomnia?
No. Insomnia is difficulty sleeping despite adequate opportunity, while circadian rhythm disorders occur when sleep timing is misaligned with the body’s internal clock.
- How long does it take to reset the circadian rhythm?
It varies from person to person. Some people improve within days to weeks, while others may need months.
- Do screens really affect circadian rhythm?
Absolutely. Blue light from phones, laptops, and TVs suppresses melatonin production, delaying sleep and disrupting the body clock especially when used at night.
- When should I see a doctor?
If sleep problems persist for more than 2–3 weeks, affect daily functioning, or cause extreme fatigue, mood changes, or safety concerns, medical evaluation is strongly recommended.
