Circadian Rhythms and Consequences of Their Misalignment

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Perustieteiden korkeakoulu | Bachelor's thesis
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Date

2024-12-07

Department

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Mcode

SCI3095

Degree programme

Aalto Bachelor’s Programme in Science and Technology

Language

en

Pages

16 + 3

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Abstract

Circadian rhythms represent sleep-wake cycles controlled by internal biological clocks, which influence physiological, behavioral and mental processes in most living organisms. Human circadian rhythms follow an approximately 24-hour pattern that is closely linked with the natural day-night cycle. The natural preference of an individual to sleep during certain times of the day is typically referred to as their chronotype. Over the years, later chronotypes have been correlated with conditions such as obesity, diabetes, insomnia, and depression. Lately, however, a growing body of evidence has suggested that the actual factor behind these conditions is the mismatch between chronotypes and social schedules. Later chronotypes are particularly susceptible to this misalignment due to the prevalence of morning-friendly schedules in most organizations and consequently are linked to poorer sleep and quality of life compared to early chronotypes. To this end, this thesis summarizes the existing literature on the correlations between circadian rhythms and health, aiming to uncover whether individuals could mitigate health vulnerabilities if given more control over their daily timetable. The results confirm that, at least to some extent, some of the health risks associated with later bedtimes are alleviated under flexible schedules. Nevertheless, more robust studies across the field are needed in order to reach a definitive conclusion.

Description

Supervisor

Korpi-Lagg, Maarit

Thesis advisor

Roy, Chandreyee

Keywords

chronotype, circadian rhythms, flexible work schedule, health, mood disorders, social jet lag

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https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:aalto-202502182434

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[kand] Perustieteiden korkeakoulu / SCI