Soterios says it's going to be hot and humid, with a chance of isolated thunderstorms. High of 88.
Gothamist has two windows in her bedroom that are covered with flimsy fabric panels. Basically her bedroom is the brightest place in the whole apartment, which makes getting up for work very easy now, since it gets light as soon as day breaks. However, it also means that small changes in the environment--like today being a bit cloudier than usual--make it that much harder to roll out of bed.
An article in this week's New Yorker about the military and their non-stance on the psychological aftereffects of killing mentioned Circadian Rhythm, something Gothamist had only a vague understanding of. It turns out that Circadian Rhythm refers to the cycle of biological processes that your body undergoes in a 24-hour period.
It's no surprise to Gothamist that light is one of the main environmental triggers keeping the body's Circadian Rhythm on course. In the morning, for example:
Light stimulates the retinas, which have direct neuronal pathways to the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) of the hypothalamus. The SCN appears the be the master "body clock" which coordinates multiple circadian oscillators including circadian variables such as sleep, temperature, melatonin, cortisol, and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH).
Without the bright light coming through her windows this morning, Gothamist will have to resort to manually jacking up her cortisol levels sometime this afternoon with coffee. Of course, the wine Gothamist had last night fewer than four hours before bedtime last night didn't help, but that's another story.
The inherent connection between weather and the Circadian Rhythm is most easily understood when considering Seasonal Affective Disorder:
As seasons change, there is a shift in our biological internal clocks or circadian rhythm, due partly to these changes in sunlight patterns. This can cause our biological clocks to be out of step with our daily schedules.
Today's clouds are only a harbinger of the depressing winter to come. Enjoy your day!
