Your Circadian Rhythm is basically a 24 hour internal clock that is also known as your sleep/wake cycle. It’s kind of just running in the background of your brain. It’s constantly reminding you when it’s time to slow down/rest, become more energised. We could listen to it and become Superhumans according to Dave Asprey, who is by the way the biohacking GOD.

I have become somewhat of a mitochondriac someone dedicated to longevity. And after conquering a chronic illness, I can tell you sleep matters. We naturally become more alert/sleepy at certain times. For most adults, the biggest dip in energy happens in the middle of the night (somewhere between 2:00am and 4:00am, when we are usually fast asleep) and just after lunchtime (around 1:00pm to 3:00pm, when they tend to crave a post-lunch nap. Those times can be different if you’re naturally a night owl or a morning person. 

Since having my daughter I am always up at around 5.30/6 which many moons ago I would of thought this is the worse thing to happen to me. But even waking up before the sunrises and managing to get in some of those early morning rays is just bliss

If you are a bit sleep deprived you will more likely notice bigger swings of sleepiness and alertness. There are many ways to hack your sleep, including apps to help you monitor if you are getting enough. There’s also a very clever gadget called the Oura ring which monitors your REM and deep sleep. 

A part of your hypothalamus (a portion of your brain) controls your circadian rhythm. That said, outside factors like lightness and darkness can also impact it. Also blue light from phones has said to have a negative affect. When it’s dark at night, your eyes send a signal to the hypothalamus that it’s time to feel tired. Your brain, in turn, sends a signal to your body to release melatonin, which makes your body tired. 

That’s why your circadian rhythm tends to coincide with the cycle of daytime and nighttime (and why it’s so hard for shift workers to sleep during the day and stay awake at night).

I tend to go to bed the same time most evenings give or take 30 mins this includes weekends. This helps to support your Circadian Rhythm and reset your biological clock.  Irregular sleep is linked to poor cognitive ability, obesity and can even contribute to many diseases including cancers.

There are many things that can and will disrupt your rhythm. Jet lag, daylight savings, maybe a sporting event or a late night out. It’s important to have awareness of how much sleep you are getting and if you get into deficits to catch up as often as you can.

Napping has been proven to be effective, I try to have at least two days in the week where I can nap with daughter Ocean who is currently 14 months old and needs those day naps.It doesn’t always work but I am making it a conscious habit and not feeling any guilt also helps. If Google have sleep pods to help their workers perform better, it’s definitely saying something.

The hours between 4-5pm in the day are also known as the Kidney/Adrenal Hour. Are good times to reflect, go within, recharge with a cup of tea ( preferably not caffeine because this will disrupt the rhythm) I would like to think of this hour being an opportunity for me to just breathe, lay down, get connected to my being as the adrenals are connected to Root Chakra. You could also use this as an opportunity to be in nature.

Living in a very modern world, with many environmental toxins, EMF’s from phones can really disrupt our sleep. One hack I find that really works is no wifi at night. It’s on a timer to go off at 10pm and not come on until 7am. Phone’s on airplane mode whilst sleeping and use your phones night time option. I actually put mine in nighttime option all the time. If you are in front of screens a lot you can invest in some blue light blocking glasses. 

Interestingly, your circadian rhythm will likely change as you get older. And you may not have the same sleep/wake cycle as your partner, child or parents. 

But the more you pay attention to your body and notice feelings of alertness and drowsiness, and the more time you spend developing good sleep hygiene habits, the better your slumber will be and the better you'll feel.