How to Reset Your Circadian Rhythm and Align with Your Body’s Natural Clock

Have trouble getting to sleep? How about staying asleep? Or maybe you feel absolutely rotten when you wake up after what you think is 8 hours of quality sleep. Like me, you may need to reset and tap into your circadian rhythm to help with your sleeping patterns and quality. 

What is Your Circadian Rhythm?

Your Circadian rhythm is the body’s natural 24-hour internal clock, which controls when you sleep, your waking window, your metabolism and lots of other of important bodily functions. 

The circadian rhythm is controlled by the brain’s suprachiasmatic nucleus (whew, I definitely had to spell check that one), which responds to your environment, e.g. when the sun rises it’s time to wake up, or when it sets its time to sleep. It performs the crucial job of regulating key functions like sleep-wake cycles, hormone release, digestion, and body temperature.

So How Do You Know When Your Circadian Rhythm is off?

There’s a few quite obvious signs that your circadian rhythm is off. The first one is constant tiredness, no matter how much sleep you get in addition to difficulty falling asleep and waking up.

Other signs that your rhythm is off are:

• Mood swings, irritability, or brain fog.
• Digestive issues, poor appetite regulation, and weight changes.
• Cravings for caffeine or sugar at odd hours.
• Disrupted sleep patterns, especially during travel or shift work.

What Will Tapping into Your Circadian Rhythm Do for You?

When you tap into your body’s natural clock, you’ll experience a whole host of benefits simply because your body will finally be working in sync with its proper sleep and waking times and getting you the restorative rest that you need. 

I’m sure that you don’t need me to tell you that sleep will help you feel better. 

But let’s get specific, what will actually improve when you align your circadian rhythm?

Boosted energy and mental clarity

First off, your energy levels will skyrocket because your body will be able to restore itself on a cellular level while you get the sleep you need. Whilst you’re sleeping, vital repairs and restoration happen in your brain, and it’s able to clear toxins in addition to creating new neural pathways, which will improve your mental clarity, mood and improve your cognitive functions. 

Improved sleep quality for essential rest

While you sleep, it’s not only your brain that experiences restoration and repair, it’s your body too. During deep sleep, your tissues and muscles repair and growth hormones are released which will help aid your healing and recovery from exercise. 

Furthermore, quality sleep strengthens the immune system and regulates your hormone production. Hormone regulation is a huge contributor to feeling good and has a vast amount of benefits but that’s for another blog post. 

Enhance metabolism and digestion

When you follow a regular sleep-wake cycle, your body processes food more efficiently during the day. Especially in the Pitta time (10 AM – 2 PM) which is when your digestive system is working at its smoothest. Good sleep also regulates the hormones leptin and insulin which are in charge of your hunger pangs and your energy levels. 

Working against your circadian rhythm can lead to poor digestion, weight gain, and metabolic issues. When you treat yourself to quality sleep, it makes sure that your body is able to properly digest your food, absorb your nutrients and balance your blood sugar levels. 

Reduce stress and balance your mood

Reducing stress and balancing your mood are direct effects of balancing your circadian rhythm, of course! Better sleep is always going to have you feeling like you’re walking on air compared to when you’re sleep-deprived. 

When you’ve got a regular sleep schedule and you’re getting quality shut-eye your brain is able to carry out essential processes that regulate emotions and manage stress. Particularly in the REM stage, the brain processes your emotional experiences, helping you respond more calmly and keep your cool. 

Good sleep will also eliminate the overproduction of cortisol which causes anxiety and irritability but on the other hand, it boosts the production of serotonin and dopamine, which boosts your mood and have you feeling great! 

How to Fix Your Circadian Rhythm

1. Sunlight exposure

Getting in some exposure to natural sunlight in the morning will trigger the serotonin production in your brain that tells it it’s the wake-up time! Serotonin will boost your mood resulting in you feeling more energised and positive.

But that’s not all — serotonin also influences how focused and calm you feel throughout the day. Higher serotonin levels help sharpen your attention, improve memory, and reduce anxiety.

2. Sleep routine

Creating a consistent sleep routine is a quick win when it comes to resetting your rhythm — yes even on the weekend! When you start doing anything consistently your body thrives and adapts very quickly, so setting a sleep routine will quickly let your body know which hormones to release and when, which will kick-start your circadian rhythm reset.

3. Limit blue light

Blue light is a massive culprit in throwing off your sleepy hormone release and tricking your body into thinking that it’s waking time. Limit your blue light exposure throughout the day and cut it out completely a few hours before you go to bed. But if you’re up on your laptop most evenings working, then grab some blue light blockers and they should also do the trick.

4. Exercise

Getting your heart rate up for at least 30 minutes per day helps reset your circadian rhythm as it spikes hormones like cortisol and adrenaline during the day (just a little though, not enough to cause an imbalance) which creates a clearer contrast between the waking and sleeping hours. Not to mention the energy you’ll burn in the process making you ready to hit the hay when it’s time. 

5. Mindful eating

Mindful eating helps you reset your circadian rhythm by aligning your food intake with your body’s natural cycles. By eating at regular times, particularly during daylight hours, you’ll help support your body’s internal clock, signaling when to activate metabolism and digestion.

Try avoiding those late-night snacks to prevent disruption of your circadian rhythm, as your digestion slows down at night.

6. Setup a wind-down routine

Creating a wind-down routine is going to signal to your brain that it’s time to start releasing that all-important melatonin, ready for sleep. 

Try to steer clear of activities that are going to stimulate you like scrolling social apps, intense conversations, or watching movies or shows that get your heart pumping. Do things like meditation, yoga, stretching, or journaling to help you to relax. 

Again it’s all about training your body to recognize when it’s time for bed, as you’ll fall asleep quicker and you’ll experience a deeper and more restorative sleep. 

Pin these tips on how to reset your circadian rhythm to come back later!

When It’s Time to Go to the Doctor

Sometimes, doing the points above won’t work and it might be time to visit your doctor when your lack of sleep starts to affect your daily life, that’s when you need to go and book an appointment. 

You might be suffering from conditions like insomnia or delayed sleep phase disorder, and these specific problems might need targeted treatments and/or medications. 

Give Your Body the Rhythm It Deserves!

When you manage to tune into your natural circadian rhythm, everything else tends to fall into place around it — from better sleep to more energy,  mental clarity, weight loss, and more. Even a few small changes to your daily routine will help with resetting your circadian rhythm bringing more peace and harmony to your life. Give it a try, and let your natural rhythm work for you, not against you!