If you’ve been a reader of my substack for any length of time you’ll probably know that the human body operates on a complex internal clock known as the circadian rhythm, which governs various physiological processes, including sleep-wake cycles, hormone release, and immune function.
If this is a newer concept to you, welcome! In this article I want to help you understand specifically how light/darkness and our relationship to those cycles both daily and seasonally impact our biology from an autoimmunity point of view.
Misunderstandings about sunlight exposure and circadian rhythms have led to widespread misinformation, potentially exacerbating health issues. There is substantial growing evidence that all autoimmune conditions are associated with a disruption of circadian rhythms. Today I want to explore the existing scientific evidence linking circadian disruption to autoimmune conditions and offer practical tips for maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm regardless of location.
Circadian rhythms are roughly 24-hour cycles in the physiological processes of living beings, driven by an internal time-keeping system. Disruptions to these rhythms can occur due to various factors, including irregular light exposure, shift work, and poor sleep hygiene. This has become even more apparent in the last 100 years with the advent of modern lighting, screen technology and our economic shits to service work and indoor lifestyles.
Emerging research suggests that such disruptions can have profound impacts on health, particularly in relation to autoimmune conditions like my own.
A CASE STUDY: The Role of Circadian Disruption in Autoimmune Thyroiditis
As someone who also had autoimmune thyroid, I found this study fascinating. So for this example, let’s examine autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT), also known as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, is a condition where the immune system attacks the thyroid gland. A study by Fu et al. (2023) demonstrated that circadian clock disruption plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of AIT. Chronic circadian disruption was found to worsen inflammatory responses in AIT patients, highlighting the importance of maintaining regular circadian rhythms for immune health (
When it comes to our immune system itself A disrupted circadian rhythm kickstarts a cascade of effects that can lead to a hyper reactive immune response, which is exactly what happens with autoimmunity.
In my opinion, all autoimmune conditions must have strong circadian signaling in order for the body to heal.
In this article i’ll be covering all the nuances in the circadian system that allows for disease proliferation and or recession based on conditions.
I’ll also provide you with practical tools, tips and tricks to troubleshoot day to day inconveniences when it comes to light exposure and darkness as well as major discounts on some of my favorite lighting options and blue blockers (exclusive to premium substack members only)
This guide like all of my articles is for my premium members, if you’d like to upgrade you can for $9.99/month or save for $80/year (which works out to about $6.67/month) to get access to every weekly piece of in-depth content
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