Circadian Rhythm

Your internal body clock!

I always thought of myself as a night owl. I routinely slept around 3 in the morning and woke up around 10 am. And then there was never enough time in the morning to practice self-care such as working out, meditation or just taking some time to plan out the day. 

Like clockwork, I’d wake up, shower, have breakfast, and be off to work. And then in the evenings after work, I’d be left with no motivation to work out and just have dinner and watch TV for hours until I’d finally go to bed. This went on for years. 

Last year I decided to change my sleep-wake cycle. I started with hourly increments until finally I achieved my goal and slept around 10 pm and woke up just after 6 am. And suddenly I have a few precious hours in the morning for myself. And that was truly a game changer. 

The Thing about Time 

There is an inherent timing to things in life. The day begins and ends. Seasons change. Life keeps marching on. Relentlessly. 

Time has no concern for you. You cannot control time or bend it to your will. But you can choose to align your life with time. 

Human beings evolved with the planet. We wake with the sun rising in the morning and we go to sleep a few hours after the sun sets in the evening. This is how we align ourselves with our universe. 

Our Internal Clock 

Our body has an internal clock that regulates our sleep-wake cycle and repeats this process every 24 hours. This is known as our circadian rhythm. This rhythm is driven by a “master controller” called the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SNC) that resides in the hypothalamus region of our brain. 

When your lifestyle is aligned with the natural circadian rhythm, your physical and mental health flourish. Disruptions to the circadian rhythm, such as those caused by shift work, jet lag, or exposure to artificial light at night, can lead to various health challenges, including sleep disorders, metabolic issues, and poor mental health. 

The circadian rhythm orchestrates a symphony of biological processes, affecting your sleep-wake cycle, hormones, digestion, and body temperature. If you can hack it, then you will reap the benefits in all areas of your life. 

For a deeper dive into Circadian Rhythm, I highly recommend a book called "The Circadian Code" by Dr. Satchin Panda. According to Dr. Panda, lifestyle can be defined as: 

“what, when and how much we eat, sleep, and move on a daily basis.”

Nutrition, sleep, and physical activity have to happen at the right times of the day. 

The Role of Light 

And it all begins with light entering the eyes. There are special cells in your eyes that are particularly sensitive to the blue wavelengths in light. These cells don’t contribute to your vision but instead send signals to your brain. 

The brain releases hormones such as Melatonin (the sleep hormone), which promotes sleep, and Cortisol (the stress hormone), which helps with wakefulness and alertness.

By experiencing sunlight in the morning, you're essentially sending a strong signal to your SCN, which then synchronizes various bodily functions. 

Similarly, your brain starts producing melatonin when it gets dark outside. If you sleep late at night, if the lights are on, or if you're engaged in stimulating activities, the production of the sleep hormone will be delayed or even disrupted. 

The Role of Food 

Food is the other element that has a direct impact on your circadian rhythm. More particularly the timing of your meals. Try and consume your meals during daylight hours or a few hours after sunset. Avoid eating meals and snacking late at night. 

The Role of Physical Activity 

Ideally, you should be most physically active during the early morning or late afternoon to align with your circadian rhythm. 

Engaging in physical activity in the morning can help you wake up and feel more alert and it also aligns with the natural increase in cortisol, a hormone that promotes alertness and energy.

Avoid intense physical activity close to bedtime, as it can interfere with your sleep by stimulating your nervous system.

5 ways to align your Circadian Rhythm!

1. Exposure to blue light during the day helps maintain our circadian rhythm and promotes alertness. So, get outside in the morning and get some sunlight and movement. 

2. Conversely, minimizing blue light exposure at night supports better sleep.

3. Eat your meals within daylight hours, or a few hours after sunset, and make sure to maintain a gap of at least 2-3 hours between your last meal and your bedtime. 

4. The first step in sleep hygiene is to sleep at the same time each night and wake up at the same time every morning.

5. In a perfect world, the ideal time to go to bed is 10 pm which is a few hours after sunset and the ideal time to wake up each morning is with the sunrise at 6 am.