What is circadian dysrhythmia?

• A. Jet lag due to time loss
• B. A drop in blood pressure during rest
• C. An irregular heartbeat
• D. Fatigue after meals

Answer: (A)

Circadian rhythms are the body's 24-hour cycles that regulate sleep, wakefulness, hormones, and temperature. When those rhythms fall out of sync with the environment, the timing of these processes becomes misaligned. This misalignment is circadian dysrhythmia, with jet lag being a classic example: crossing time zones disrupts your internal clock, making you feel fatigued, groggy, and less alert as you try to adapt to a new day-night schedule. It’s not about a drop in blood pressure during rest, an irregular heartbeat, or fatigue after meals, which reflect other physiological issues rather than a disruption of the body's clock.