Yesterday we covered some of the things that can cause disruption to your Circadian Rhythm (CR)⏰and how that might be affecting your health.
Maybe, supporting your CR is one of the stressors that you CAN start to tackle. While it might seem like it has no connection to your health, as you learned yesterday, improving your CR can make a huge💥difference.
Below are some ways to better support your CR. But, remember the goal is never perfection! It is unlikely that you can tackle this entire list. Instead, I encourage you to think about which things make sense for you to work on and start 🏁there.
⚡️Try to get bright sunlight early in the day, ideally within 30 minutes of waking
⚡️Be physically active earlier in the day, if possible and avoid overdoing it with exercise
⚡️Make sure you are adequately nourishing yourself throughout the day rather than saving the bulk of your calories for later in the day
⚡️If you've been eating low carb, consider introducing more carbs into dinner
⚡️Try to eat dinner ≥2 hours before bed **However, a small bed time snack can actually be helpful for some people
⚡️Work with a professional to balance hormones and microbiome health
⚡️Eliminate caffeine after noon
⚡️Minimize alcohol
⚡️Shut down screens 30min-1 hour before bed
⚡️Keep phones and computers away from the bed and out of the bedroom
⚡️Sleep in a cold, dark room
⚡️Create a consistent sleep schedule
⚡️Maximize sleep from 10pm-2am, when most people can get their most restorative sleep
As for my fellow parents, I KNOW those late hours feel like the only alone time you have🤪, and can be precious time with your spouse❤️. But, do me a favor and take audit of your night time hours... Are you using them to connect wtih your spouse, or to truly reset from the day? Or are you zoning out on screens for work or pleasure? I'm not saying some of that is wrong - I do it plenty! But, I encourage you to consider🤔 whether you can re-prioritize those hours, and explore what might really bring you rest, and restoration during that time.
What steps can you take to improve your circadian rhythm?