What are circadian rhythms?

If you follow any of our socials you will frequently hear me mention about our circadian rhythms. But what are they and how do they affect us?

Circadian rhythms are physical, mental, and behavioral changes that follow a 24-hour cycle.

These natural processes respond primarily to light and dark. Circadian rhythms are required by our biological clocks which are composed of specific molecules that interact with cells throughout the body.

These are all coordinated by a master clock in our brains keeping everything in place. Isn’t the human body amazing?!

All of this is going on every second of the day without us consciously having to do a thing.

What we can do to is find ways that work alongside our biological clocks and in particular our circadian rhythm.

As mentioned above, our circadian rhythm responds primarily to light and dark.

Back when we didn’t have any electricity, it was easier to regulate our circadian rhythm as light was mainly produced naturally. We didn’t have access to artificial lights or screens that can play havoc with our circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythms can influence important functions in our bodies, such as hormone release, eating habits and digestion body temperature.

However, most people notice the effect of circadian rhythms on their sleep patterns.

If you find it hard to sleep at night or start to feel really tried during the day, you may have knocked your circadian rhythm off its course.

Below is a list of habits that can help reset your circadian rhythm, help you sleep better, control your weight, immune function and digestion.

In other words, make you feel more like you again. If you have chronic and long term problems with your sleeping patterns I would suggest that you seek the advice of a professional.

Get outside in the morning
I’m a huge fan of this one and something, thankfully I have made into a habit. Every morning as the sun rises, I step outside and help kick start my 24-hour circadian rhythm resulting in feeling more awake, being physically active and it helps me sleep better at night.

Keep to a sleep schedule
We are all creatures of habit and our bodies love it when the habits are good and help it function. Going to bed at the same time every night is one thing but waking up at the same time every morning is equally important.

That includes the weekends. Upsetting this too much can make your circadian rhythm worse.

As a guide to help you with your sleep pattern, melatonin, a hormone that your brain produces in response to darkness and helps make you sleepy, usually begins triggering the body to rest around 9pm and starts slowing down (which cues the body to wake up) around 7.30am.

Try to orient your sleep schedule around these times with extra time for winding down before bed. I normally aim for around 9.30am and wake at 5.30am.

Nap only if you have a good sleep pattern in place

If you are struggling with your sleep pattern, napping is like topping up your poor sleep pattern, setting you up for another restless night of sleep.

Napping can be great if you have a good sleep pattern and even for recovery or preparation for work/sport performance.

If you have a poor sleep pattern and feel sleepy during the day do some form of exercise for 30 minutes, preferably outside.

Afternoon coffee
Caffeine stimulates that brain and can also supress the production of melatonin, leaving you more awake and wondering why you can’t switch off. If you are consuming coffee, try and take it in the morning and make sure you have hydrated well before drinking it.

Cut back on heavy meals at night
What you eat can impact how you sleep. Food and alcohol cause heartburn. Aim to give your body 12 to 16 hours without food to reset (this can include the hours you sleep).

Doing so means your liver won’t be working as hard throughout the night.

When your master clock triggers the release of melatonin, it also sends signals to the liver, telling it to stop creating enzymes to turn calories into energy and instead begin storing energy.

The more food you put in your body before bed, the harder your liver works, and more food is stored than burned.

Cut back on screen time
One simple habit that has changed my life is that I don’t bring my phone into the bedroom. This means a screen isn’t the last thing I look at before I got to sleep and gives my brain time to switch off and adjust to the low level light (side lamp) I use for reading.

An area I’m working on is reducing screen time one-two hours before bed. Difficult but very achievable. For you and me it can result in trying something different instead… like playing an musical instrument, reading a book or improving your relationships with loved ones.

Again, let me stress that if you are struggling with the sleep pattern on consistent basis for a long period then please seek medical advice.

In the meantime, I think we can all improve on at least one thing that will help our circadian rhythm. Which will result in making us healthier, happier and more active.