If you have trouble falling asleep and feel groggy in the morning, your circadian rhythm may be to blame.  Your circadian rhythm is your body’s internal clock.  It regulates many physiological processes that operate on a schedule, including your sleep/wake cycle and when you become hungry.  Here are some ways that you can optimize your circadian rhythm for better sleep. 

Sleep in darkness

Your internal clock is encoded by your genetics and influenced by environmental factors. Light is the single most important environmental factor that influences your internal clock.

Your circadian rhythm evolved with sunlight.  To simulate this, you should sleep in total darkness.  If your space isn’t completely dark, buy a sleep mask. I like the silk sleep masks from Perpetual Shade. In the morning, open the blinds and let in sunlight in to increase alertness.

Limit blue light before bed

The blue light from devices like laptops, phones and tablets simulates daylight and encourages wakefulness by suppressing the release of melatonin, a hormone associated with sleep.  Try to start limiting your use of these devices 3 hours before bed [1]. If you can’t unplug from your devices that early, try using a pair of glasses that blocks blue light, like the ones from Phonetic Eyewear.         

Limit nighttime noise

Noise can disrupt sleep, interrupting your sleep cycles. To prevent disruption and encourage better sleep, try using a white-noise machine below 50 decibels to mask external noise [2][3]. If your sleeping environment has unavoidable noise (read: a snoring partner), try wearing ear plugs designed to be worn during sleep.

Create a sleep routine

Go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. This will tune your internal clock and help you to wake up more alert and fall asleep more readily.

Rest and digest

You’ve probably heard of your nervous system’s “fight or flight” response, but did you know that there’s a converse “rest and digest” response?  If you’ve ever noticed that you’re lethargic and sleepy after eating a large meal, that’s your “rest and digest” response at work [4].  Eat a small snack in the evening to signal to your nervous system that it’s time to rest.

Cool down

When you sleep your body temperature falls slightly [5].  Take a hot bath or shower an hour before bed.  It sounds counterintuitive, but your body temperature will lower to compensate for the heat of the water, replicating your lower body temperature in sleep.

*Featured image of Jū Xiǎowén for Loreal Skin