New spinout addresses sleep and circadian rhythm disruption
Circadian Therapeutics has been established to identify and bring to market pharmaceutical and diagnostic platforms for the effective management of physiological and pathological conditions through their ability to modify the body's circadian rhythms.
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Sleep: Ten Top Tips
1. CREATE A SLEEP FRIENDLY BEDROOM
2. Wind Down Routine
3. Bed is just for sleep and intimacy
4. The quarter-of-an-hour rule
What are circadian rhythms?
The word ‘circadian’ comes from the Latin ‘circa’ meaning ‘around’ and ‘diēs’, meaning ‘day’. Our circadian rhythms are biological processes that follow a (roughly) 24-hour cycle. Throughout the day our alertness levels will wax and wane, as will our temperature, blood-pressure, appetite and hormone production. These fluctuations are examples of circadian processes. The most obvious circadian process is the sleep-wake cycle.
Circadian rhythms and mental health
At any one time, 16 per cent of adults in the UK have a common mental disorder, while 1 per cent has a severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Mental disorders are estimated to become the biggest cause of disability by 2030. A recent study by the European Brain Council estimated the cost of brain disorders to Europe alone at €800 billion in 2010. A striking, long-recognised and diagnostic feature of mental illness is SCRD and poor health. Although clinically recognised, the precise nature, causes and effects of SCRD in mental illness are poorly defined, and its treatment invariably neglected.