Syncing your Circadian Rhythm for better sleep

Did you know all living beings follow a 24-hour sleep-wake cycle?

This natural process is called our Circadian Rhythm, and it controls the time we wake up, the time we go to sleep, and our fluctuating energy levels throughout the day.

Unfortunately, our modern world is filled with rhythm-altering technologies that often affect our sleep cues and keep us up at night. Blue light emitted from cell-phones and tv screens, artificial indoor lighting, and wonky bed-time schedules all affect how easily we wake up and fall asleep every morning and night.

I used to experience insomnia and restless sleeps on a regular basis. Then in the morning, I’d sleep through my alarm clock and hit the snooze button on repeat. But over this past year, I really started tuning in and paying attention to how the external world was affecting my sleep. Now, I fall asleep with ease and sleep through almost every single night. Gone are the days of racing bedtime thoughts, restless sleeps, and groggy mornings. And let me tell you - life is truly better with deep quality sleep.

Below, I’ve listed my top 5 top tips for naturally regulating our circadian rhythm, waking up with ease, and getting a deeper sleep at night.

1.) Sunlight in the morning

Exposing our eyes to natural light shortly after waking is one of the most powerful ways we can naturally reset our circadian rhythm! Natural light helps us wake up, feel energized, and provides a natural source of energy in the am. After soaking in a little daylight first thing, you might not even need your morning cup of caffeine.

I choose to go for a walk outside first thing every single day, and I’ve noticed the biggest difference in every, mood, and sleep. Mama Earth is our medicine, and nature’s cycles teach us and provide the deepest healing.

2.) Avoid blue light at night

The blue-coloured light omitted from electronic screens negatively affects the production of our sleep hormone, melatonin. If you’ve ever experienced insomnia after staring at your phone or watching a movie right before bed, that’s why! I try to avoid looking at screens 2-3 hours before bed to help myself wind down and encourage sleep. But when that’s not an option, there’s a couple tricks we can do to migrate the effects:

• Download ‘Flux’ on your laptop. It’s a free app that automatically changes the colour of your computer screen as the sun goes down.

• Use apple’s built-in ‘nightshift’ option on the iPhone to shift the colour of your screen to the warmest tone after dark. Go to cell-phone’s settings —> display and brightness —> ‘night shift’, and set preferred times according to your schedule.

• Invest in some blue blocking glasses! There are a number of brands on the market offering dozens of different styles. Some companies are more reliable then others, so I recommend doing your own research before purchasing.

3.) Create a cyclical bed-time + wake-up schedule

Our body’s internal clock loves following a regular schedule. Do your best to go to bed and wake up at similar times every day. Not only will this help you fall asleep at night faster, but it will also be easier to wake up in the morning. I personally choose to sleep 7.5-9 hours every night - but this number changes depending on the time of month, year, and where I am in my cycle. Always listen to your body, and do what feels best for you.

4.) Limit artificial light

Indoor lighting tells our body that it’s daytime and we need to stay awake, even when it’s night. I recommend turning off all the bright lights in your home when the sun goes down. Instead, choose to light your home with some unscented soy or beeswax candles and a couple of pink Himalayan salt lamps, which emit a deep red glow and negative ions that promote relaxation. I’ve noticed this helps me feel tired faster and calm a busy mind.

5.) Sleep in the dark

Darkness naturally increase our melatonin production and decreases cortisol. But sleeping with a face-mask won’t quite do the trick - our skin has built-in light receptors that absorb all forms of light, whether your eyes are shielded or not. I recommend trying to make your room as dark as possible. Blinds, blackout curtains, or even an extra-thick bed-sheet are all great options.

Do you notice the affects of blue-light on your sleeping habits? What are your best remedies for encouraging a deep night’s sleep?