Humans are products of nature and we thrive when we live according to its cycles. An important aspect of nature and how human bodies have been designed to work is our circadian rhythm or sleep/wake cycle. It is an intelligence that generates feelings of wakefulness and sleepiness, hunger and satiety during the 24-hour cycle. Pretty much how we sleep, eat and digest, secrete certain hormones, our bowel movements, detoxification…everything works according to the circadian rhythm. In simple words, it’s about how different processes in our body are designed to be carried out during different times.
Think about the importance of timing in your life. Everything that happens on a typical day. The time you wake up, get your kids dressed for school, submission of an assignment, etc. revolve around time. What if we stopped respecting time? Nothing would work and there would be chaos, stress, agitation and frustration. Now, take that analogy and imagine a little clock in our brain called SCN (suprachiasmatic nucleus) that controls the circadian rhythm like a pacemaker by taking cues from the amount of light in the environment.
Every cell and vital function in our body—breathing, blood pressure, blood sugar, movement, hormones like insulin, oestrogen, thyroxine, testosterone, digestion—literally everything is controlled by this little
clock. The very process of falling asleep happens according to our circadian rhythm when the sleep hormone called melatonin is secreted under appropriate conditions like dimmer lights because it is light-sensitive.
This is why not living or acting in accordance with our internal clock can prevent all the processes that are vital for human health. Messing up with our circadian rhythm can disturb every single aspect of human health and function, which also means aligning yourself to the biological clock/circadian rhythm is perhaps the only lifestyle change you could make for everything else in your life and health to fall in place. There are studies to prove how a disrupted biological clock is connected to chronic health issues, from diabetes to heart disease to cognitive decline.
Anyone who has pulled an all-nighter, worked in night shifts or travelled across time zones knows the unpleasant consequences associated with it like haywire eating patterns, bowel movements and sleep patterns.
What upsets our circadian rhythm
1. Jet lag
2. Night shift work
3. Overexposure to artificial light, gadgets, screens
4. Frequent changes in routine like bedtimes.
5. Hormonal changes during menopause or pregnancy
How to reset your circadian rhythm
1. Consistent sleep and wake-up routine
2. Eating dinner (last meal)
as close to sunset followed by fasting till sunrise.
3. Stare at the rising or setting sun for at least 2-3 minutes. This is when the sun rays are not harsh.
4. Expose yourself more to natural light.
5. Shield yourself from artificial light like cutting down gadget and screen exposure, wearing blue light blocker glasses etc.
If you are confused about where to begin from, try adjusting your meal times according to the circadian rhythm. Eat your last meal close to sunset and fast through the night, until sunrise. Eat only after sunrise and notice all the amazing changes you experience—high energy levels, alertness, better sleep, digestion, water retention, waking up with flatter stomach, no bloating, clearer skin, lesser cravings and so much more. Eating according to our circadian rhythm has proven to be by far the most powerful lifestyle change for so many people. Try it.
The author is a Mumbai-based holistic lifestyle coach–Integrative Medicine