Our world is full of rhythms - the rising and setting of the sun, the changing of seasons, the waxing and waning of the moon, the tides of the ocean…
A circadian rhythm is a daily cycle that occurs throughout much of the natural world – a 24 hour pattern that guides the daily functions of plants, animals, and of course, our selves. In humans, circadian rhythms are the physical, mental and behavioural patterns that our bodies follow over the course of the day. These rhythms influence many important functions including hormone release, body temperature, eating habits and digestion, cognitive function, mood, immunity, and sleep.
In today’s world, we are constantly bombarded by new information about the latest health crazes. New scientific research. New super foods. New fitness regimes. Treatments. Supplements. Medications. Meditations.
For many of us, these have been game changers. But, if we’ve tried everything and we’re still not seeing the improvements we desire, then perhaps it’s because we’ve been overlooking the most fundamental aspects of how are bodies were designed to operate.
“The goal is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the universe, to match your nature with nature.” ~Joseph Campbell
Nearly every tissue and organ in our bodies contains its own biological clock. These are all guided by one master clock in the brain – the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) – which is directly influenced by environmental cues, especially light, which is why circadian rhythms are tied to the cycle of day and night.
Our modern lifestyles mean many of us are living out of alignment, causing significant disturbances to these processes and impacting both our short and long-term health. Circadian disruption has been linked with almost all chronic diseases, from heart disease and cancer, to immunological conditions, reproductive issues, gastrointestinal conditions and a number of psychiatric disorders.
Learning how to re-synchronise your life with nature is one of the simplest, most cost-effective strategies to optimise your health and possibly even prevent or reverse disease.
There are several habits we can cultivate to help maintain a healthy circadian rhythm, including exercising daily, eating at consistent times, following a consistent sleep-wake schedule and avoiding naps during the day.
Here are some of our favourite tips for building an optimum light routine to bring your body’s circadian rhythm back into alignment:
Ideally, you want to catch a few minutes of sunlight within 15 minutes of waking, and before any other light hits your eyes. This tells your brain to stop making the sleep hormone melatonin and to start producing cortisol which wakes you up and makes you feel more alert and ready to face the day. Try and spend at least 5 minutes outdoors in the morning, or at the very least, crack a window to let the rays in. It doesn't matter if it's cloudy.
This means NOT looking at your phone before you get out of bed!
Sunlight is a natural source of blue light and we need exposure to blue light during the day to maintain our circadian rhythm. Make sure you take breaks from your screen as often as you can during the day to see natural light. Step outside for 5 minutes. Preferably without sunglasses! Sunglasses block the necessary light signals from reaching our eyes.
At sunset, the sun naturally emits high amounts of deep red and near infra red light which signal to your body it's time to wind down and relax. Mimic nature indoors by avoiding bright lights and instead using warm red lights, candles, or himalayan salt lamps.
Exposure to bright, blue light at night blocks melatonin production, making it more difficult to fall and stay asleep. Blue light at night also causes cortisol to spike, not only inhibiting sleep, but also increasing sugar cravings, insulin, and compromising hormone signalling.
Turn off all screens an hour or two before bed, or if you truly cannot avoid it, use a red light filter on your phone or laptop, or wear blue light blocking glasses. Many new devices have built-in functions enabling you to control your blue light exposure, however if yours doesn't, We love the Twilight App for android phones, Iris software for your computer, and Block Blue Light for glasses.
Sleep in a pitch black room without any electronics in the room and definitely no devices charging. You may not be able to see the invisible EMF (Electromagnetic Frequencies) being emitted, but your pineal gland can and this inhibits melatonin production.
Aligning with the circadian rhythm helps activate the body’s innate intelligence. The more we can live in accordance with nature, the smoother our lives will flow…