The Circadian Clock and Functional Somatic Symptoms

Abstract

We begin our exploration of the neurobiology of functional somatic symptoms with the circadian clock because every organ, tissue, and cell in our body has a circadian rhythm---and all components of the stress system are regulated by the circadian clock. The integrity of the circadian clock is important in health and dis-ease, and is often dysregulated in children and adolescents with functional somatic symptoms. We examine the healing functions of sleep and why good sleep is important for subjective well-being, facilitating physiological coherence within the stress system and the body as a whole. We then consider sleep interventions as a good starting place for the treatment of functional somatic symptoms. Improvements in sleep can act as a circuit breaker, the first step in the process of healing, the first step in the process of shifting the body from a dysregulated to a more regulated state.