You may wish to reset your body’s internal clock. Could it be that your weekday energy levels are being negatively affected by staying up late on weekends or having an irregular sleep routine? Maybe working unusual hours or jet lag has thrown your sleep routine off balance. Twice a year when the clocks are adjusted for daylight savings, the one-hour shift in time can cause you to be disoriented. It could be a signal that something is wrong with your body clock if you are continually having sleeping issues or feeling fatigued during the day.

Regardless of the origin, a disruption of the circadian rhythm can leave you feeling exhausted and can lead to serious medical issues. The good news? A circadian reset can help. This means that you are changing the time your body is ready to fall asleep and when it naturally wakes up.

What is Circadian Rhythm?

Living beings demonstrate a daily pattern of behavior that recurs approximately every 24 hours, known as a circadian rhythm. People’s internal biological clock is often referred to as their circadian rhythm. The internal timekeeper within your body, which spans 24 hours, notifies you when to get up, when to rest, and when to eat. The meaning of the term “circadian rhythm” can sometimes fluctuate, but it is mostly recognized as the pattern of sleeping and being awake. Circadian rhythms are largely regulated by the amount of light and darkness.

Circadian Rhythm History

When was the discovery of the daily cycle of biological responses, which is sustained by the alternating day and night period of the Earth, first made?

For centuries, researchers have been aware of a cyclical pattern, with the earliest documentation of this trend appearing in a 4th-century BC text in relation to leaves.

Medicine journals in China from the 1300s document facts about the cycles occurring in humans and various reports on the subject of daily cycles and inner clocks have been conducted since then.

When Does Circadian Rhythm Develop?

Humans are born with the ability to adapt to a circadian rhythm, but it is not set right away. This is why babies wake up at night, require frequent feedings, and have a tendency to make their parents, who have already developed a circadian pattern, sleep-deprived and worn out.

So, when do babies develop circadian rhythm? At approximately three or four months old, infants tend to have established a normal body clock. Even though all babies mature differently, this is generally true.

Parents can give their little ones a head start by creating an everyday rhythm for them, getting them outside in the sunshine, formulating a calming bedtime ritual, and ensuring the room where they lay their head is pitch black.

It is evident that the body’s natural clock in a young person is profoundly affected by the individual in charge of their care. But is circadian rhythm genetic? Genes do have a role in it, there might be a tendency present to rise up early or need extra sleep, but mostly the rhythms of the circadian clock can be changed by making changes to the environment, like being exposed to more daylight and holding a fixed daily routine in the morning and after dusk.

What Hormones Control Circadian Rhythm?

A variety of hormones are linked to the 24-hour cycle and getting sufficient rest. The two main ones are melatonin and cortisol.

As night falls, melatonin is released due to the decreased presence of blue light. The amount of melatonin produced has a pattern based on the season, and more of it is secreted during the winter.

Cortisol levels tend to peak during the morning and then decrease as the day progresses, allowing melatonin to kick in and induce sleep.

Cortisol provides the energy we need to get going in the morning, leaving us feeling alert and full of vitality.

What is My Circadian Rhythm?

Our inner body rhythms vary, which makes it so that we do not all feel hungry or drowsy at precisely the same moments. Some individuals have a quicker-than-normal routine than the daily pattern, which makes them known as “morning larks”, while others may have a slower one and may be called “night owls.” If you’re looking to learn the method of monitoring your body’s natural body clock, there are a few easy steps you can take.

Our bodies had naturally adapted over time to sleeping and waking in accordance with the sun, as in earlier times when there were no modern time-telling devices like clocks or gadgets to interrupt this cycle. Consequently, it was much easier to strike the right balance of sleep.

If you want to follow your bodily clock, you must pay attention to your body’s signals and not be distracted by outside noises.

It won’t take just one night for your body’s internal clock to reset, but doing things like waking up and going to bed at the same moment daily, turning off devices that give off blue light before bedtime, avoiding late-night snacking, and calming down before sleeping can all make a huge difference in enabling your body to demonstrate its circadian rhythm.

Why is Your Circadian Rhythm Important?

Several components can interfere with your daily sleep pattern, such as changing shifts at work, crossing multiple time zones quickly (jet lag), and even an infrequent evening snack that won’t cause too much harm in the long run. But constantly damaging your internal clock can be damaging to your wellness.

Your mood can be adversely affected, and an irregular circadian cycle has been linked with weight gain, diabetes, and an increased likelihood of suffering from heart problems.

A healthy body is strongly connected to having a circadian cycle that is running in harmony; this is due to the importance of getting a solid night’s sleep to stay in great health.

When thinking about the benefits and drawbacks of circadian rhythm, there would be no disadvantages to list!

Why Should I Reset My Circadian Rhythm?

In the end, having a disturbed circadian rhythm could cause an increased chance of getting Type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart problems, and cancer. Once you start, you will feel more tired when you get up and more exhausted during the day. You will also feel heightened pressure and worry, as well as a drop in your capacity to make decisions and focus. Basically, all the things that you are concerned about will be affected.

Additionally, having an inconsistent sleep-wake cycle makes it difficult to drift off when desired, thus making it more difficult to achieve the necessary amount of rest.

The number of hours you need to get in a night’s rest is determined by your genetic code. The majority of people need around 8 hours and 10 minutes of sleep, but this may vary by up to 44 minutes. On the other hand, a small percentage of people may require more than 9 hours of nightly sleep. The RISE app eliminates the hassle of determining how much sleep you need. This app evaluates the way you use your phone and employs cutting-edge models developed through sleep science to tell you precisely how much sleep you should strive for each evening.

If you are having trouble staying awake and alert during the day, it could be an indication of something other than an imbalance in your body’s internal clock. It is possible that you are not receiving enough sleep, and you have accumulated a large amount of sleep debt.

The deficit in sleep one accumulates is the difference between the amount of rest one’s body has required and the actual hours of sleep they have had. In the RISE program, we track this for the preceding two weeks. Staying well-rested will ensure that you have a good mood and can give your best performance. An accumulation of inadequate sleep can have adverse effects on one’s attention, recollection, and mental aptitude. Sleep debt influences circadian rhythm and vice versa.

How Do I Reset My Circadian Rhythm?

Try using these strategies to bring your circadian rhythm back into balance if it is out of sync. The RISE application eliminates any confusion about monitoring your daily body clock by providing a simple way to observe and record its patterns.

• Shift your bedtime and wake time gradually: When shifting to a new bedtime and/or wake time, try moving toward your goal time in 15-to-30-minute increments. The body can adapt to gradual changes more easily than sudden shifts in your sleep routine.
• Shift your meal and exercise times: Food and exercise can influence the timing of your peripheral clocks. Be sure to shift meal and exercise times in the direction you’re trying to move your circadian rhythm to keep all of your body clocks aligned.
• Get bright light first thing: Bask in natural light for at least 10 minutes as soon as possible after waking up. Make it 30 minutes if it’s cloudy or if you’re sitting by a window. This way, your SCN will signal to your brain it’s daytime, suppress melatonin production, and reset your circadian rhythm for the day.
• Look into bright light therapy: Used to manage circadian rhythm disorders, bright light therapy gradually shifts sleeping patterns back into the normal range. A sleep specialist might use a high-intensity lamp, but exposing your eyes to bright sunlight for a prescribed amount of time (usually 15-90 minutes) first thing in the morning is a good DIY option.
• Get natural light during the day: Aim to get outside for walks, exercise, or work by a window to get as much natural light during the day as possible. This may make you less sensitive to bright lights come evening.
• Make time to wind down at the end of the day: It’s much easier to reset your circadian clock if you give yourself time to relax and detach from the stress of the day. Whether you read a book, take a warm bath or shower, or meditate — adding a wind-down period to your sleep routine can help you ease into sleep more quickly. With the RISE app, you can customize your evening wind-down period with your preferred relaxation techniques. In the app’s Energy tab, click “Evening Routine” to add it to your energy schedule.
• Try a melatonin supplement (as a last resort): Timing your light exposure to support your body’s natural melatonin production is far better than taking a supplement. But in certain circumstances — if you’re a shift worker struggling to get the sleep you need or a weary traveler trying to adjust to and function in a new time zone — taking a melatonin supplement may help you shift your sleep schedule. We recommend speaking with a licensed healthcare professional who can advise you on the right timing and dosage amount of melatonin.

Once you’ve adjusted your body’s internal clock, take measures to stay consistent with your sleep schedule. Sleep hygiene encompasses the different activities done throughout the day and night, which cause you to drift off to sleep as per your biological clock. Here’s what to do:

• Stick to a regular wake time and bedtime: Your circadian rhythm thrives on consistency.
• Expose yourself to light (preferably sunlight) soon after waking: It will stop melatonin production, signaling to your body that the day has begun.
• Exercise regularly: Physical activity during the day can make it easier to get the sleep you need at night. Just be sure not to exercise too close to bedtime or it’ll actually delay the timing of your circadian rhythm.
• Set cut-off times for consuming alcohol and caffeine: Consume them too close to bedtime, and you could find yourself wide awake when your body wants you to sleep or waking up in the middle of the night.
• Avoid or limit light exposure after dark: Dimming lights and avoiding blue light (or wearing blue-light blocking glasses) in the 90 minutes before bedtime supports your body’s natural melatonin production.
• Keep a sleep-friendly bedroom: The ideal sleeping environment is cool, dark, and quiet. Use ear plugs, an eye mask, and blackout curtains or blinds. Avoid using bright artificial lights during the night, too. If you need to get up to use the bathroom, for example, use a night light.

The Best Circadian Rhythm Diet

Eating habits play a role in the natural cycle of sleeping and being awake, known as a circadian rhythm. It is important not only to consider what you are consuming but also when you are eating it.

Consuming pre-packaged meals all day long will not only lead to weight gain, but it can also have a negative effect on the quality of your rest, your vigor, and your wellbeing in general.

A diet that is healthy and contains lots of nutritious food like fruits and veggies, grains, fish, and lean proteins should be consumed within a 12-hour period in order to improve your circadian rhythm.

You should have your last meal no later than 7 pm if you ate breakfast at 7 am. By doing this, your body will not be focusing its energy on digesting food while you sleep, which means it can optimize time by repairing and renewing cells.

How to Do Circadian Rhythm Fasting

Circadian Rhythm Fasting is also known as Intermittent Fasting. This strategy requires people to consume meals within an 8-10 hour period and fast for a time span of 14-16 hours. Oftentimes, this is accomplished during the night and frequently results in no breakfast being eaten.

An illustration of how Circadian Rhythm Fasting works could be to consume food only after midday and then have your last meal before 8 o’clock in the evening. You wouldn’t consume any food until 12 o’clock noon the next day.

It has been revealed that combining a balanced diet with this form of eating can help in losing weight and enhancing one’s sleep quality. It is important to maintain a nutritious diet and watch your portion sizes in order to prevent yourself from eating more calories than you burn.

What Vitamins Help Circadian Rhythm?

Think about incorporating our Morning & Night Female Supplements into your life to give your body’s natural, 24-hour cycle the vitamins and minerals it needs to stay on track.