The sleep cycle is an example of a biorhythm
Biorhythms are cycles that many people believe the body goes through over time. These cycles are believed to be physical, emotional, and intellectual, and have periods that could be as short as a day or as long as a year.
Biorhythm
The term biorhythm literally means "life rhythm." It refers to the belief that the body goes through various cycles through time. The length of a biorhythm may be hours, days, or longer.
History of Biorhythms
The theory of biorhythms was created by a German physician named Wilhelm Fliess in the 19th century. Fliess was interested in the relationships between numbers (specifically 23 and 28), and thus there was an early relationship between numerology and ideas about biorhythms. Other contemporary physicians and intellectuals helped develop the concept of biorhythms into one about cycles of varying lengths that eventually included cycle charts.
Examples of Biorhythms
Perhaps the most well-known biorhythm is the circadian (from the Latin for "about a day") rhythm. This is the belief that our bodies go through a cycle each day, which is related to light sensitivity, and thus is related to sleep cycles.
Other examples of biorhythms include infradian (several days), circannual (annual), a 23-day physical cycle, a 28-day emotional cycle, and a 33-day intellectual cycle.
Different Uses of the Term
While the term, biorhythm is used in a variety of ways, the most basic is any physiological cycles that the body experiences as part of its functions.
However, many biorhythmicists propose various specific rhythms of stipulated times for things such as aesthetics (43 days), and spirituality (53 days), and thus try to claim more than mere cycles of functioning in the body.
Scientific Evidence for Biorhythms
There does not seem to be any valid scientific research that supports the veracity of biorhythmic claims. The field is considered by many, to be a pseudoscience. Various attempts to validate the various cycles claimed have been unsuccessful. These failures have not dissuaded many believers, and biorhythmics is an active field with many advocates.
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