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Sleep & Circadian Health

Own All 24 Hours

Your health is shaped by more than your sleep. It’s shaped by your entire day.

For too long, we have treated sleep as something that happens at night, separate from the rest of our lives.

But our bodies work across all 24 hours. Sleep helps us rest and recover, while circadian rhythms regulate when we feel sleepy or alert. They also help coordinate essential processes throughout the body, including metabolism and hormone release.

What happens during the day influences how we sleep. And how we sleep affects how we feel and function the following day.

It’s time to look beyond bedtime.

Think differently about your health

Sleep and circadian health are closely connected with our physical and mental well-being. When they are regularly disrupted, the effects can extend beyond tiredness, influencing our health and how we respond to illness.

The relationship also works in reverse. Illness and its treatment can disrupt sleep and circadian rhythms.

Understanding these connections opens up new opportunities to improve health across the entire day.

Taking care of our health means looking at the whole person, across all 24 hours.

Take ownership of what you can change

Owning all 24 hours does not mean following a perfect schedule or controlling every moment of your life.

It means recognizing where small changes can make a difference. Getting more daylight, being physically active, or finding a more consistent sleep schedule can all support sleep and circadian health.

It also means recognizing when sleep problems persist and seeking appropriate care rather than simply accepting them.

Not everything is within our control. Work, family responsibilities, and other circumstances can make healthy routines difficult.

The goal is not a perfect 24 hours. It’s finding a routine that supports your health and works with your life.

Advocating for better sleep and circadian health

Individual choices are only part of the picture.

At the Wellness, Sleep & Circadian Network, we believe sleep and circadian health should be recognized as essential components of people’s physical and mental well-being.

They should be routinely considered in healthcare conversations and treatment decisions, not only when someone reports trouble sleeping. They also deserve greater attention in research into disease prevention and treatment.

We also need policies and environments that help more people get sufficient sleep and maintain healthy circadian rhythms.

At WSCN, we want to empower individuals while changing how healthcare and society understand health across all 24 hours.

Better sleep. Better circadian health. Better lives.

It’s time to Own All 24 Hours.

References

Ramar, K., Malhotra, R. K., Carden, K. A., Martin, J. L., Abbasi-Feinberg, F., Aurora, R. N., Kapur, V. K., Olson, E. J., Rosen, C. L., Rowley, J. A., Shelgikar, A. V., & Trotti, L. M. (2021). Sleep is essential to health: An American Academy of Sleep Medicine position statement. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 17(10), 2115–2119. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.9476

Medical disclaimer
This article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Speak with a qualified healthcare professional about questions or concerns related to your sleep. Read full medical disclaimer

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