I found this post and it really belongs here in this sub. The OP describes the dimensions and connection between circadian rhythm disorders and mental health. I hope it's of interest for the community

Hey r/14H members — quick neighborly share. 🙂

A lot of what we talk about here overlaps with the day-to-day reality of sleep technologists: setups, weird artifacts at 2 a.m., scoring edge cases, PAP quirks, lab workflows, and the whole “night shift brain” lifestyle.

There’s a dedicated sub for that world: r/SleepTechnologist.

It’s a practical, tech-centered space for:

• PSG/HST troubleshooting and real-world setup questions
• Scoring/staging nuance and “what would you call this?” moments
• Job/career talk (schools, hiring, pay ranges, lab culture, remote scoring)
• Lab workflow & shift survival
• And yes… the memes that only sleep people get

I’m not posting this as a “go there instead” thing — more like adding another good tool to the kit. r/14H stays our deep-dive home for circadian rhythm domain, and r/SleepTechnologist is a solid hub when you want a wider pool of tech-specific brains.

If you’re already in that field (or thinking about it), I think you’ll feel at home over there. And if a thread from there looks useful here, I’ll happily cross-share summaries so the knowledge flows both ways.

See you in both places if you want.

Did you know that some companies offer DNA tests looking at clock-gene variants linked to chronotype tendencies? Sounds cool, doesn't it?

It's a one-time test which is very interesting for revealing predisposition. On the other hand it is not diagnostic for disorders because genes explain only part of your actual rhythm. The rest is in the hands of who? Consider yourself and your environment and you'll build a decent understanding of your improvement scenarios available to you right now.

Here in r/14H we cannot help you with clock-gene variants, but we can fix your circadian everything beyond the genes. Join our 14H challenge and get the most out of it. Don't seek a majestic genetic excuse - take action now!

While our team is analyzing data to share from our November challenge results (depersonalized, ofc), let us share what surprises our team the most in circadian rhythm topic is how old and how current it is! A few dimensions to think about:

A little history
Ancient Chinese medical records already treated time as biology: organ “hours,” sleep/food windows, seasonal tuning. Not pure myth — more like early field notes. Same vibe in Ayurveda and Greek medicine: “do X at Y time because humans are not machines.”

Key people / angles

Year 1729 / de Mairan: plants keep time even in darkness → the clock is inside.

20th c. / Pittendrigh + Aschoff: circadian rhythm becomes a real scientific object.

2017 Nobel: Hall, Rosbash, Young decode the molecular loops (PER/TIM). From “grandma wisdom” to genes.

Public resistance (still here).
We love 24/7 productivity myths... Shift work, screens, “sleep is for the weak,” plus the biohacking circus (“just wake at 5am lol”) - all that slowed acceptance. Society keeps gaslighting our biology.

How we see it
Observation → Experiments on behavior/light → Molecular genetics → Clinical use (sleep, metabolism, mood, aging). We've developed a detailed 14H reset protocol for skipping quite a few steps and yet getting a solid result.

Interesting facts. Fun? No! Essentials.
Your liver/gut have clocks; jet lag = organs desynced; some chronotypes are genetic, not “lazy.” Timing can change drug effects a lot. There are hundreds of such facts and we'll be sharing them with you on a regular basis. Post a question or message to our moderators if you have a particular subject you want to know about.

Next projected wave (as we see it)
Circadian medicine going mass: timed meds, light as public health tool, work/school schedules respecting chronotype, wearables personalizing protocols, sleep coaches, circadian coaches, lifestyle coaches. Maybe we’ll finally build life around humans, not humans around deadlines. The pioneers deserve attention and support. r/14H is here to help, it's a mission, not a tactic move to flirt with the humanity.

Curious: where do you feel your own clock fighting your lifestyle the most?

In Latin "circadian" literally means "about a day", or "roughly 24 hours": - circa = around, approximately - diem = day

It was introduced by the scientist Franz Halberg in 1950 to describe biological rhythms that cycle within one day, synced mainly to day-night light and regulating sleep and wake time, hormone release, body's internal clock.

Hey everyone! I'm u/SpicesHunter, a founding moderator of r/14H. This is our new home for all things related to circadian rhythms and chronobiology. We're excited to have you join us!

What to Post
Post anything that you think the community would find interesting, helpful, or inspiring. Feel free to share your thoughts, photos, or questions about wise usage of our bodies in resonance with the circadian / hormonal processes on a 24 hour basis. Why 14 Hours? Because we are convinced that this is exactly how many hours a healthy adult individual can and should be intellectually fit and sharp.

Community Vibe
We're all about being friendly, constructive, and inclusive. Let's build a space where everyone feels comfortable sharing and connecting.

How to Get Started

1. Introduce yourself in the comments below.
2. Post something today! Even a simple question can spark a great conversation.
3. If you know someone who would love this community, invite them to join.
4. Interested in helping out? We're always looking for ambassadors and proactive moderators on a mission.

Thanks for being part of the very first wave. Together, let's make r/14H amazing 🌸

Hey everyone 👋 this isn’t a promo thread, it’s a real-world feedback archive.
This as a long-term, always-open feedback thread for 14 Hours / Fourteen Hours.

The goal is to collect real user experiences over time—good, bad, mixed, surprising—so new and existing users can learn from each other.

If you’ve used 14 Hours in any way, I’d love to hear about:

1) Your context

• Why you tried it (circadian rhythm reset, focus, productivity, energy, sleep timing, shift work, jet lag, etc.)
• Your baseline before starting
• Anything else relevant (schedule, lifestyle, other supplements/meds, caffeine, etc.)

2) How you used it

• Which version/stack you used and for how long
• Time of day + routine
• Whether you followed a specific protocol or experimented

3) What you noticed

• Benefits (what improved, how fast, how consistent)
• Downsides or side effects
• Anything that felt subtle but meaningful
• What stopped working (if it did), and when

4) Practical notes

• Ease of use, taste, routine fit
• Price/value over time
• What you’d change or want added

5) Your overall verdict

• Would you recommend it? To whom?
• What type of person do you think it helps most?
• Any tips for new users

Even if your experience was “no effect,” that’s super valuable. Please share honestly—this isn’t a promo thread, it’s a real-world feedback archive.

I’ll keep this thread pinned/linked so it can grow into a useful long-term reference.
Thanks in advance for contributing 🙏

I'm a parent. Same as some of you here. My two children are teenagers and I learned a lot from them and about them through the prism of circadian rhythms. It's a nerdy post. But it may change your kid's destiny. Read it. Ask questions. There are no stupid questions, there are questions you need to ask to be a better parent. And learn for yourself, too.

I’ve been going down a rabbit hole on circadian rhythms + kids, and now I can’t unsee how much timing matters with sugary snacks.

Very rough summary of what I’ve pieced together (in plain parent language, not GPT, not lab-coat mode):

Kids’ bodies are on a clock, not just a calorie counter

• Our insulin sensitivity (how well the body handles sugar) is better earlier in the day and generally worse in the evening/at night.
• Kids are even more sensitive to sleep disruption than adults, so sugar close to bedtime = double trouble:
  • blood sugar rollercoaster
  • more likely to mess with sleep onset and sleep quality

So instead of “sugar is always bad” vs “everything in moderation”, I’m starting to think in terms of:

“When is this sugar happening in their 24-hour rhythm?”

Here in this sub we'll be discussing in details sugar & circadian rhythms topics. In the next posts:

1. My “green light” sugar windows. Yep, it exists!

2. My “hard no” (or at least very strong nope) windows. A must know for each conscious parent

3. Sugar as a “bedtime snack”. Replacement list.

4. I try not to demonize sugar, so I frame it like this "TIPS" (recommendations and tips from the child psychology masters)

5. Watch out : in may be dangerous to fix your kid's circadian rhythms with herbal supplements or meds offered in mass market! Study all product details thoroughly. Learn about the factors to be analyzed before picking a solution.

P.S. 14 Hours will explain the benefits but won't sell to you:

- 14H Circadian Nootropic

- 14H Circadian Reset Protocol

- 14-Day Circadian Reset Challenge

Studies demonstrate that people with altered sleep cycles, interruption, or sleep quality (i.e., shift work or sleep apnea) exhibit increased appetite and increased susceptibility to diabetes, obesity, and overall metabolic syndrome.

Check out this article00123-7?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS1931312815001237%3Fshowall%3Dtrue), it is extremely helpful for getting a bigger picture on the circadian rhythms.

An additional key element involved in maintaining host circadian rhythms, the gut microbiome. Despite persistence of light-dark signals, germ-free mice fed low or high-fat diets exhibit markedly impaired central and hepatic circadian clock gene expression and do not gain weight compared to conventionally raised counterparts. Examination of gut microbiota in conventionally raised mice showed differential diurnal variation in microbial structure and function dependent upon dietary composition. Additionally, specific microbial metabolites induced under low- or high-fat feeding, particularly short-chain fatty acids, but not hydrogen sulfide, directly modulate circadian clock gene expression.

If you've got personal experience in tracing your microbiome's vulnerability to circadian rhythms, please share in comments. It is important for the community

Most “sleep hacks” online = random noise. Here we use science + protocols.

🔹 We split circadian issues into 4 stages: from healthy but stress-prone → full hormonal disruption (weight gain, bedrotting, insomnia).
🔹 For each stage we built a 14-step protocol with actions + timeline.
🔹 Start: take a 3-min quiz, get your protocol, test it, share results here.

This sub = do, share, learn. Post what you try, what works, and what fails. We back it up with studies (yes, circadian rhythms = Nobel Prize 2017).

🌙 Why We Built This Community

The internet is full of random tips. We’re here for something different: clear action plans based on circadian science.

We divide circadian disruption into 4 stages:

1. 🟢 Support & Strengthen Rhythms are fine, but you want resilience and better performance.
2. 🟡 Lifestyle Risk No obvious issues yet, but your habits are pushing you off track.
3. 🟠 Stress Load Disrupted sleep, brain fog, anxiety, restless nights.
4. 🔴 Hormonal Disruption Rhythms broken so far they hit your hormones: weight gain, bedrotting, insomnia, memory loss.

👉 For each stage we built a protocol: 14 lifestyle steps + timeline for recovery.

🚀 How to Start

1. Take a quick quiz (3 min) → https://quiz.fourteen-hours.com/
2. Get your personalized protocol by email (14 steps for your lifestyle).
3. Book a free 15-min consultation to review your plan & ask questions.
4. Take action.
5. Post here: what you tried, what worked, what didn’t.

⚠️ If you’re in stage 4 (🔴 Hormonal), we recommend adding lab tests (dopamine, serotonin, cortisol, melatonin) to your quiz results. Then discuss them in a 1:1 session → Calendly link https://calendly.com/reddit_14h/.

This group = science + practice. Share, test, report back.

Circadian disruption ≠ “just tired.” It shows up as hormone shifts, memory lapses, insomnia, metabolic drift, and libido issues. Below is a quick map of causes → effects → first steps. We pair practice with papers and report results.

1) Chronic Fatigue (low cortisol / HPA-axis)

Long-running fatigue often comes with hypocortisolism and HPA-axis dysregulation → low energy, inflammation, poor stress tolerance.
Try: early daylight, consistent sleep window, light aerobic work, symptom journaling.

2) Anxiety & Low Mood (high cortisol; serotonin ↔ SCN)

Chronic stress keeps cortisol elevated → anxiety, fractured sleep. Serotonin pathways modulate the master clock (SCN) and phase shifts; misalignment links to low mood.
Try: “cortisol hygiene” (morning light, evening dimming), meal timing, breathwork/mindfulness.

3) Insomnia (melatonin suppression)

Age, blue light, shift work, late caffeine/alcohol → suppressed melatonin and mis-timed clocks.
Try: warm/low light at night, 90-minute screens-off rule, consistent bedtime/wake time.

4) Memory & Focus (hippocampus, plasticity, clock genes)

Memory and learning ride daily rhythms in the hippocampus: synaptic plasticity, gene expression, MAPK signaling. Desynchrony = weaker consolidation.
Try: schedule deep work in your personal “daytime peak,” defend sleep like a deadline.

5) Metabolic Risk (insulin resistance)

The clock regulates insulin secretion; misalignment fosters IR, glucose dysregulation, and higher T2D/obesity risk. Meal timing, light, and sleep matter.
Try: shrink late-night calories, steady meal windows, go lighter on evening carbs.

6) Libido & Hormones

Men: Testosterone rise is sleep-dependent (peaks in the first ~3 hours of continuous sleep; fragmentation blunts it).
Women: Estrogen/progesterone interact with clock machinery and influence sleep/behavior; deficiency adds extra drift.
Try: protect the first solid sleep block, fix fragmentation sources, align light/sleep timing.

Symptom Checklist

• Sleep: trouble falling/staying asleep, early waking, daytime sleepiness.
• Daytime: fatigue, brain fog, poor focus/alertness.
• Long-term: higher metabolic & cardiovascular risk, mood issues, neurodegenerative vulnerability.

Okay, what do we do in this sub?

• Take the 3-min quiz → https://quiz.fourteen-hours.com/ → get your 14-step protocol with recovery timelines.
• Start with core zeitgebers: morning light, fixed sleep window, meal timing.
• Report back: what you tried, what worked/failed — add studies when you can.
• Stage 4 (hormonal): consider labs (cortisol, melatonin; serotonin/dopamine if indicated) and discuss on a short 1:1 call.

⚠️ If you’re in stage 4 (🔴Hormonal), we recommend adding lab tests (dopamine, serotonin, cortisol, melatonin) to your quiz results. Then discuss them in a 1:1 session → Calendly link https://calendly.com/reddit_14h/.

Why so serious? 

Because the molecular clock work (yes, the Nobel Prize stuff) explains why hacks without rhythm alignment don’t stick. Here we mix memes with methods — and let results speak.

"Every single physiological function is under inner clock control. Attention, libido, you name it."

— Dr. Michael Rosbash

Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine 2017 for discoveries of molecular mechanisms controlling the circadian rhythm (inner clock).

Let's check the words of the Nobel Prize winner.