Show notes
Circadian rhythm is an internally driven cycle that rises and falls during the 24-hour day. It helps you fall asleep at night and wakes you up in the morning. Different systems of the body follow circadian rhythms that are synchronized with a master clock in the brain.
This master clock is directly influenced by environmental cues, especially light, which is why circadian rhythms are tied to the cycle of day and night.
When properly aligned, a circadian rhythm can promote consistent and restorative sleep. But when this circadian rhythm is thrown off, it can create significant sleeping problems.
Actually, All processes in our body work on a circadian rhythm, and not just our sleep-wake cycle!
We have "clocks" in each of our organs that dictate hormone secretion, insulin sensitivity, metabolic functions, nutrient absorption, appetite, glucose metabolism, body temperature - just to name a few. These processes work optimally when our external cues (when we are eating, sleeping, exposed to light, etc.) line up with these internal clocks.
So, in order to maintain optimal health, we want to align our external cues and internal cues so they can work harmoniously. One major misalignment is late night eating. It is common to see both elevated glucose values overnight and/or a higher glucose response to a meal when we eat later in the day due to this misalignment and lowered insulin sensitivity in the evenings.
We want to give ourselves that minimum 3-hour window between our last bite and bedtime.
If possible, I would definitely recommend trying "early time restricted eating" which would emphasize an eating window within daytime hours to better align our body with our natural circadian rhythms.
For many people, this means consuming your last bite of food before 6pm (or earlier!). This might not always be possible but aiming for an earlier eating window is a great goal.
If you have to have a later meal due to schedules or work, I recommend keeping it very low carb, focused on whole foods, and overall smaller portion sizes to help compensate for these effects.
Here are a few other tips to better entrain our 24-hour sleep cycles.
- Seek out sun: Exposure to natural light, especially early in the day, helps reinforce the strongest circadian cue.
- Follow a consistent sleep schedule: Varying your bedtime or morning wake-up time can hinder your body’s ability to adjust to a stable circadian rhythm.
- Get daily exercise: Activity during the day can support your internal clock and help make it easier to fall asleep at night.
- Avoid caffeine: Stimulants like caffeine can keep you awake and throw off the natural balance between sleep and wakefulness. Everyone is different, but if you’re having trouble sleeping, you should avoid caffeine after noon.
- Limit light before bed: Artificial light exposure at night can interfere with circadian rhythm.
- Keep naps short and early in the afternoon: Late and long naps can push back your bedtime and throw your sleep schedule off-kilter.
Well, there you have it - now you are an expert in circadian rhythm, and you can use it to optimize your health.
Thanks for listening and have a great day!
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