Whether you’re a night owl or an early bird, all humans are highly attuned to the 24-hour cycle of sunlight and darkness. This internal body clock – also known as a person’s “circadian rhythm” – is crucially important to overall well-being. It may be obvious that circadian rhythm impacts our sleep/wake cycles and when we feel alert or tired, but it also helps regulate other important bodily functions including hormone production, body temperature, metabolism, cell repair and regeneration, and immune system functioning.
What Impacts Circadian Health
Unsurprisingly, light is the primary factor impacting circadian health. Exposure to natural daylight – especially in the morning – is one of the strongest cues to our body that it’s time to be awake and alert. There are several other important factors, however. For example, when and what you eat as well as when you time physical activity can impact circadian rhythms. Another important element is how consistent you are when it comes to a sleep schedule, your mealtimes, and exercise routines.
How and Why to Improve Circadian Health
As noted, poor circadian health can impact many biological systems with significant consequences to overall well-being. From problems sleeping to mood regulation, weight gain, trouble focusing, weakened immune systems and more, there are a variety of reasons improving circadian health is a worthwhile goal for overall health and wellness.
If you’re someone looking to improve your circadian health, there’s a few small lifestyle tweaks and guidelines you can keep in mind. First and foremost, consistency is key. The more you stick to a regular schedule for sleeping, eating and exercising, the more likely your body is to take notice. It’s recommended to avoid eating or working out late at night, and as most of us have heard by now – the more you can avoid screens (and other bright lights) before bed, the better. Other tips include avoiding caffeine or other stimulants after noon and resisting the urge to nap. Keeping the bedroom dark and cool can also help circadian health.
Ultimately, we all have unique biological clocks within the 24-hour day cycle. That said, working to sync your circadian rhythm with your habits and environment through a few small lifestyle adjustments can have tremendous benefits to holistic well-being.
