The Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN) Is the ”Master Clock” of the Human Brain and Body. the Strongest External Influence on Our Circadian Rhythm Is Light

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The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is the ”master clock” of the human brain and body. The strongest external influence on our circadian rhythm is light. This is called a zeitgeber, or “time giver”. Our retinas perceive light and sends electrical signals through the optic nerve to our SCN. Our eyes are more sensitive to blue light, which sends a stronger signal. What happens when we spend too much time in front of our computer screens, which This results in a delayed circadian phase. You can see from this figure that this can emit an unnaturally high amount of blue light? result in difficulties falling asleep at night and waking up in the morning. The external light reaches our SCN and suppresses our brain’s production of melatonin, the “hormone of darkness”. The onset of melatonin is what prepares our body for sleep and keeps it asleep for the duration of the night. So… just get flux! You can download flux for free at justgetflux.com Once you install flux, it will exist on your computer’s toolbar. It appears in the top right By clicking on the icon in your toolbar you can look at the preferences for flux. of my screen on my Mac. You can move the slider to set your screen’s composition. You can see I have mine set a little more yellow at all times. It knows that I wake up at 6:30 AM and presumes my bedtime is 10:30PM. You can see that it will change the composition of my screen as we approach sunset for my zip code and even more drastically when it is past my bedtime. Here you can see photos of my screen in 4 scenarios: I have used flux for well over five years, both at home and at work. Daytime My preferred custom daytime setting I like it better than my Mac’s “night shift” because I can customize it to my liking. Sunset And Nighttime It is definitely a necessity for me. I always install it at work, and it has become essential for me during WFH while I spend more time in front of a screen than I may have otherwise. .

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No Slide Title
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