Annals of medicine
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Resetting of the circadian clocks involves the heat shock pathway. Cryptochromes as the actual repressors take care of circadian alignment, and in addition they link the circadian clocks to temperature responses, metabolic homeostasis, and sleep homeostasis. In contrast, circadian misalignment redistributes rapid-eye-movement sleep and has ramifications for the insulin pathway, inflammation, weight control, and mood. Here, the second half of the night and the actions of cryptochromes are suggested to be a critical period and a key mechanism, respectively.