Sleeping is an important aspect of our daily lives. The quality of our sleep is essential to maintain, without it, the body begins to undergo detrimental changes that can lead to serious health conditions. This includes cardiovascular related diseases, hormonal imbalance, depression and much more. Sleep is associated with a vast range of conditions and it’s something I have personally come to understand to be a key to a healthy lifestyle. Busy lives, lack of activity outdoors and perhaps a sedentary lifestyle can condition the body against its natural mechanics. Circadian rhythm is our internal clock that adjusts itself, aligning bodily functions.
If your circadian rhythm begins to shift, things can begin to spiral down pretty drastically. Typically a person will wake up during daylight hours and go to sleep at night. If you’ve ever travelled half a day across the world, the term jet lag might be familiar. Time zones shift and the circadian rhythm is misaligned. If you find yourself wide awake in the late hours of the night and unable to wake during the day, this could be indication the body’s circadian clock has shifted. Negative impacts one might notice include clouded thinking, slower reactions, weight gain and emotional swings. I have experienced this on a number of occasions, especially when traveling.
Taking the circadian rhythm’s alignment as a matter of priority has been a big change in life. It’s more than just a sleep schedule. Conditioning the body to a timeline that aligns with a daylight schedule is an overall boost to productivity and health. During the periods where I was away for extended time, I found my body slow to adjust to new time zones. Something that could go on for days or even weeks. For travelers who need to attend events or business people, realigning or fixing the circadian rhythm as soon as possible is essential. Years ago I scoured sources in search of a quickly solution to realign my body clock. After many Reddit comments and search results, research pointed towards a method that ‘resets’ the circadian clock. Fasting is an effective way to fast track circadian clock alignment. Fasting before a flight or the very next day and exposing the body to sunlight helps to influence the optic nerve that is responsible for circadian rhythm control. Feeding the body at the right times has also been an important factor for myself as night eating send a message to the body, awaking it for food. In short, fasting and eating at a strategic time along with exposure outdoors with supported hydration will realign the circadian rhythm.
Sources
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/resetting-your-circadian-clock-to-minimize-jet-lag-2016090810279
