Here’s a quick primer on how this fascinating system works, why it gets messed up, and how to optimize it so you can go through every day feeling energized (and sleep through every night feeling restored). This crucial process is kicked off by the natural light that comes from the sun’s rays that is picked up by the suprachiasmatic nucleus2 (SCN) in your brain. When sunlight comes in through the eyes, the SCN picks up the cue that it’s daylight and time to get up and be active. As the light diminishes and then disappears, the clock signals the body that it is time to sleep. Every 24 hours, the clock is reset as sunlight comes through. In addition, genes, or “clock genes” found in every cell of your body, also influence this rhythm, regulating physiological processes like energy metabolism, immunity, and memory formation. We mess up our clock by staying up late, working on our computers or smartphones, rarely getting outdoors or exercising, eating processed foods, going on drinking or food binges in the late-night hours, and drinking large volumes of caffeine to stay awake—just to name a few. To say that our circadian rhythms have been disrupted is an understatement. Every system of the body needs to be in sync for the system to work well and efficiently. When the circadian rhythm is off, the body goes out of step with its natural rhythms. Research shows that taking two or three days to go camping where you have no access to electronics or even watches (allowing the sun to dictate when to rise and when to go to sleep) can greatly affect your sleep-wake cycle3. Finally, keep your sleep schedule consistent! Do your best to go to bed and wake up around the same time every day, only varying by one hour every now and again (like on the weekends). A sleep-supporting supplement may help you ease into this new, steadier routine.* Here’s a list of mindbodygreen’s all-time favorites. Their studies suggest that fasting can help readjust sleep clocks in people with jet lag, so you can try a 16-hour fast by eating an early dinner around 4 p.m. and not eating again until 8 a.m. the following morning. Then, go back to a normal eating regimen, making sure you have 12 hours in between dinner and breakfast the next day. Even if you’re not fasting, swapping heavy foods like dairy and saturated fats from meats with vegetables and lean protein sources and eating your larger meals earlier in the day4 can support your circadian rhythm. Meditating daily, taking mindful walks in nature, exercising regularly, and limiting your intake of triggering news are all things that can help keep your stress levels in check.
