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5 Awesome Ways to Hack Your Circadian Rhythm
“There is virtue in work and there is virtue in rest. Use both and overlook neither.” ― Alan Cohen
Like most people, there’s probably a certain time in the day when you’re firing on cylinders – then out of steam by a certain hour.
That’s your circadian rhythm at work. This is a built-in mechanism that nature programmed into all of us, and it tells you when to get up and go to bed.
Think of it as an automated program behind the scenes, quietly running your sleeping and waking cycles.
In the 1930s, a group of scientists studied how this biological function worked in people. They spent a whole month in a cave with no sunlight so they wouldn’t know what time of the day it was.
As it turned out, they slept an average of between 7-9 hours based on their natural rhythms.
The National Sleep Foundation also recommends the same number of hours for sleeping at night. This is to make sure your cognitive and physical functions are at optimal levels during the day.
As you probably know, there are significant health risks associated with a lack of sleep, like a higher mortality rate, increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and even diabetes.
So if you want to be around longer, get with the program – and in sync with your natural circadian rhythm.
Can You “Hack” Nature?
The cool thing about your circadian rhythm is that it’s actually influenced by larger forces at work, particularly the Solar System.
Our biological clock is tied to the Earth’s movements, as well as the rising and setting of the Sun.
What’s even more interesting is that your circadian rhythm affects basic functions related to digestion, reproduction and hormonal production. All of these help you sleep soundly so you can recharge, heal your body, and keep your brain in good working order.
So if your circadian rhythm is out of whack, the quality of your sleep suffers. And when that happens, you’re going to shorten your life expectancy as I pointed out earlier.
That begs the question: can you “hack” a basic biological function that regulates your sleep patterns?
The short answer is “YES!”
In fact, you’re ALREADY doing it.
If you have poor sleeping habits, you’re actually wrecking the pre-programmed rhythms that nature built into you.
One of the dangers of modern living is that we often push ourselves to stay awake late into the night.
This includes catching up on work, checking out your social media feed, going on a Netflix binge and partying until the sun comes up.
Then we chug down copious amounts of coffee (or worse, energy drinks) to stay up during the day.
If anything, your goal should be to unhack your circadian rhythm!
With that, here are 5 Tips to Help Your Circadian Rhythm Get Its Groove Back:
#1: Get out of the house!
Take a mini-sabbatical and get to the great outdoors.
No smartphones or other digital distractions – just you and nature.
Soak in that sunshine (with proper UV protection of course) while reading a book, jogging, or taking a leisurely stroll.
Natural sunlight not only gives you vitamin D, but also resets your internal clock. When the sun’s out, we’re wired to stay awake and alert.
If you can, spend a few days to close to nature to reboot your system more effectively.
But if you’re in a particularly urbanized area, the local park will do. Find any excuse to leave your humble abode and move around.
On top of getting more sunlight outside, moderate amounts of cardio will further reduce health risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle. So you’re hitting two birds with one stone!
And when you come back from your little excursion, get into the habit of letting in as much sunlight as you can during daytime to reinforce your new sleep programming.
#2: Get your bedroom in order
While getting out and about is a start, the other half of the equation is what happens indoors – your bedroom, to be exact.
If getting sunlight tells your body to kick it into high gear…
…then setting the right conditions at night helps take it down a notch.
Here are some tips to make your bedroom more suitable for sleep:
- Make your bed a peaceful place to rest. Your mind shouldn’t associate it with any activities that will keep you up. If you can’t sleep, get up from your bed and do something relaxing until you feel drowsy. Reading a book and listening to music are good ways to unplug from a stressful day.
- Regulate your bedroom temperature to 60-70 F, which is the ideal range for falling asleep.
- Get a good mattress and set of pillows. Adequate back support is a must for sleeping soundly at night.
- Keep it quiet – take anything out that could wake you up. If necessary, get an eye mask and earplugs to block out bright lights and loud sounds.
The important thing is that you’re undisturbed so you can get a good night’s rest and stay awake during the day. This way, you’ll keep your circadian rhythm properly balanced.
#3: Don’t take your phone to bed (seriously)
This deserves special mention because mobile devices are the bane of your sleeping life.
Most of us are addicted to using our tablets, laptops and smartphones at night, thinking it will help us relax.
Whether it’s checking social media, watching a movie, or answering that work email, this is a habit that messes with your internal clock.
There’s nothing wrong with unwinding, but the problem is that the blue light that screens emit. They pretty much simulate natural sunlight, which is bad if you’re trying to sleep.
Your body produces sleep hormones including melatonin, and this grinds to a halt when you’re exposed to this kind of light. Plus, a lot of other automated functions in your system need the absence of light to slow down and get you to sleep.
The best thing to do is switch off ALL devices a couple of hours before your scheduled bedtime. Push all electronics-related activities earlier in the evening to give you enough time to wind down after.
(By the way, it’s also a good idea to sleep at a regular time because routine keeps your sleep/wake cycles consistent.)
#4: Fuel up on the right food
Speaking of melatonin, there are a bunch of foods you can snack on at night to help you sleep better.
Aside from this sweet sleep hormone, the following contains others substances such as magnesium, tryptophan and calcium which also help you rest more peacefully:
- Warm beverages: Milk (regular or almond) and tea (chamomile, passion fruit and peppermint)
- Fruits and vegetables: apples, strawberries, cherries, bananas, peaches, avocado, broccoli, cucumber, kale, asparagus, baby spinach, kale, collard greens, onions, tomato
- Nuts: almonds, cashews, peanuts, pistachio and walnuts
- Grains: wheat, rice, barley, corn, oats
- Seeds: flaxseed, mustard seeds and sunflower
- Meat: turkey and chicken
- Fish: sardines, salmon and tuna
- Dairy: cheese and yogurt
Here are some snack ideas as well:
- Toast some whole wheat bread with peanut or almond butter, or top with cheese instead
- Milk with cereal that’s whole wheat-based (skip the sugary ones marketed towards kids like Frosted Flakes or Froot Loops), then add a cut-up fruit of your choice
- Low fat or Greek yogurt with some fruits and nuts
- Turkey sandwich – or just eat turkey without bread and have it with tomato or cucumber
Just make sure to keep it light. Heavy meals in the evening will keep you up from all the digesting you need to do. Snack between 45 minutes to an hour before bed.
And since we’re on the topic of food, let me also remind you to go easy on the caffeine in the evening.
Cut off your coffee intake (no more than 3-4 cups or 400mg of caffeine) by late afternoon, which is around 3pm. This gives you time to get it out of your system before retiring in the evening.
#5: Chill Out!
I mean it – you’ll want to keep your cortisol production (a stress hormone) down to manageable levels so your circadian rhythm runs like clockwork.
A moderate amount of stress is actually good for you as it keeps you on your toes.
Neuroscientist Ian Robertson believes that stress, when managed properly (i.e. treating it as a fun challenge or getting a rush out of it), can help your brain work at full capacity.
But the problem, of course, is when things get out of hand and you feel overwhelmed. Naturally, it’s going to throw off other functions, such as your circadian rhythm.
The trick then is to keep it balanced. After getting fired up from a challenging day, you’ll need to bring yourself back down towards the day’s end.
Furthermore, stress management acts like a safety valve that allows you to regularly let off steam in a healthy way.
Aside from spending time walking and relaxing outdoors, you can do other things to take the edge off:
- Cut down on processed foods, sugar, excessive amounts of fat and sodium which can aggravate your stress levels. Opt for whole foods and aim for a balanced plant and animal-based diet instead. If you want ideas on eating healthier, start with documentaries like “That Sugar Film” and “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead”.
- Work out in the morning. Studies show that doing this earlier in the day means you’re more likely to stick to the habit. Plus, you get a nice boost of endorphins and other feel-good hormones to keep you going through the day.
- Practice the art of mindfulness. In a nutshell, this is focusing on the present moment and observing it unfold without judgment or trying to change it. Simply step back and observe. Check out books like “The Zen Habits Beginner’s Guide to Mindfulness”, “10% Happier” and “The Miracle of Mindfulness”. If this stuff is new to you, it might feel weird at first – but trust me, it WORKS.
- Meditate. This habit ties in nicely with the thoughtful observation associated with mindfulness. Meditation involves sitting upright with your eyes closed and focusing on the rise and fall of your breath. As you learn to quiet your thoughts while meditating, it will reduce your stress to reasonable levels on a long-term basis.
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