Do you find yourself tired throughout the day, reliant on coffee and caffeine to get through the morning, and wish you had the energy you had when you were in your prime??
I recently participated in a 4-part training by Ari Witten, the creator of The Energy Blueprint Program. I learned so many routines and techniques to optimize energy and I will share a few with you in this post. One small, yet very important piece of this puzzle has to do with regulation of your circadian rhythm.
What is circadian rhythm?
Circadian rhythm is the 24-hour cycle that the body follows to induce sleep and promote energy, hormone secretion, and many other biological processes. When our circadian rhythm is in sync with the sun’s natural rhythm, we are able to achieve optimal energy.
Disruption of circadian rhythm has been linked to chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia, depression, anhedonia (lack of ability to feel pleasure), anxiety, mood disorders, and daytime sleepiness (The Energy Blueprint, 2019). A disrupted circadian rhythm has also been shown to contribute to inflammatory diseases, weaken the immune system, increase risk of cancer and metabolic syndrome, increase stress hormones such as cortisol, impair memory, and accelerate the aging process (The Energy Blueprint, 2019).
What causes a disruption in Circadian Rhythm?
Basically, spending too much time indoors during the day (without sunlight exposure) and staring at too many screens at night.
During the day, sunlight exposure facilitates wakefulness, energy, the buildup of melatonin, and the release of appropriate hormones. At night, lack of light exposure allows the release of melatonin, facilitates relaxation, and prepares the body for restful REM sleep. This disruption of the critical balance of neurotransmitters is one of the main causes of sleep disturbances and decreased daytime energy.
6 Strategies to Reset Circadian Rhythm and Increase Energy
- Bright Light Every Morning – Get sunlight during the first 30 minutes after waking. This is the most critical time to signal your brain that it’s daytime (aka- it’s time to be awake, alert, and energetic). I’ve recently started sitting on our front porch to catch the sunrise while I eat my breakfast. Other options could be a short walk before work or getting a bright light therapy device to place at your desk.
- Get Electronics Off & Out of the Bedroom – Simply having electronic devices near your bed has been shown to delay sleep onset. Not only does it take longer to catch some zzzz’s, it also disrupts the hormonal cascade that prepares your body for deep sleep. Avoid watching TV or using a computer, tablet, or phone for 1-2 hours before bed. Don’t bring electronics into the bedroom. If you must use your phone as an alarm clock, put it on airplane mode and keep it 6 feet from the bed.
- Sleep in Total Darkness – Even very tiny lights in the room can have a measurable impact on brain functions. Make sure no lights come in from the windows, and if necessary, use eye shades to block all light.
- Optimize Your Sleep Time – Through modern world lighting, many people have adapted to a sleep cycle that is much more delayed than is actually optimal for them (and they call themselves night owls). An interesting experiment sent self-proclaimed “night owls” on a camping trip for one week with no exposure to artificial light. Amazingly, every person naturally fell asleep two hours earlier and woke up two hours earlier with no alarm clock or prompting.
- Use Blue/Green Blocking Glasses – If screen exposure is an absolute “must,” invest in some high-quality light-blocking glasses. The two most recommended brands are “SafetyBlue” and “TrueDark.” These brands block not only blue light, but also green light to provide total protection and improve your sleep quality within a few days of using them. Another option is to invest in screen protectors, which fit right over your computer screen.
- Decrease Feeding Window to Amplify Autophagy – This version of Intermittent Fasting (IMF) simply requires that you to limit your eating window to 10-11 hours of the day, preferably stopping earlier in the evening. This allows your body to perform autophagy, or a process of cleaning and repair on the cellular level, and promotes more rejuvenating sleep.
Source: The Energy Blueprint. (2019). 6 science-backed strategies to dramatically increase your energy. [PDF file].
