How to Naturally Reset Your Circadian Rhythm

Last Updated on March 28, 2023 by Tracey McGrath

Ever feel like your body clock is out of whack? Resetting your circadian rhythm is super important for getting it back in line. This article will give you a brief overview of your circadian rhythm and how you can naturally reset it.

Get your internal clock working better for you with these tips for better sleep hygiene. And grab a copy of my free mindfulness daily journal to create a daily reflection practice!  

What is your circadian rhythm?

It lets your body know when it’s time to go to sleep and wake up. If your body’s circadian rhythm is out of sync, it can affect your overall health and well-being.

Your circadian rhythm is a series of biological processes that affect sleep. There are particular proteins that are more abundant at night and decrease during the day.¹ This is linked to the production of hormones such as melatonin (which helps you to sleep) and cortisol (which is higher when you first wake up for most people). 

When your body clock is in sync, you’ll naturally go to sleep around the same time each night and wake up at a similar time every morning. If this isn’t happening for you, it’s a sign that your circadian rhythm is out of whack and needs a helping hand to get back on track. 

Things that can disrupt your circadian rhythm 

Normally, our bodies are designed to go to sleep when it gets dark and wake up when the sun rises. Your own personal body clock is pretty unique to you but there’s one thing that’s true for all of us: Certain factors are guaranteed to disrupt your body’s natural circadian rhythm. 

One of the biggest disruptors? Being exposed to blue light from phones, laptops, tablets, and televisions. This light confuses your body and fools it into thinking that it’s still daytime. More specifically, it affects the production of melatonin, which is crucial for good sleep.²

The end result? Your body doesn’t go through the same motions of winding down and preparing for sleep. It also upsets the natural rhythms relating to sleep, appetite, and temperature. For more information read my article on Importance of Sleep Health.

This is one reason why sleep experts advise you to switch off electronics before bed. Turn off your phone at least an hour before bedtime. Place it in airplane mode if you can’t bear to turn it off completely. Also, keep tablets and TVs out of your bedroom to reduce the temptation. 

Healthy Sleep Hygiene Habits

Prepare your body for bed 

Training your brain that it’s time for sleep is a crucial step in naturally resetting your circadian rhythm. A warm bath can help your body prepare for bed. The rise and fall in your body temperature get your body ready for sleep. As your temperature goes down after a bath, it lets your body clock know that it’s time to wind down for bed.

Using lotion and lavender essential oil to give yourself a foot massage is a great way to relax your body. Lavender essential oil has a calming effect on the body.³ Check out the high-quality essential oils from Plant Therapy. They make a lavender essential oil that smells wonderfully relaxing.  

Use lighting to your advantage

Expose yourself to as much natural light as you can during the day, especially in the mornings. 

According to a study published in the Photochemistry and Photobiology journal, exposing yourself to non-natural light in the evenings affects your ability to go to sleep.⁴ 

Dimming your lighting in the evenings helps your body to recognize that sleep should be on the horizon soon. When you go to bed, try to get your room as dark as possible. Blackout blinds can be super helpful if outdoor lighting shines into your room. And don’t forget that blue light from your devices also counts as non-natural light!

Some people find that light therapy helps to reset their circadian rhythm. This involves exposing yourself to bright light first thing in the morning to get your body used to the idea of waking up naturally. 

Get into a routine

If your bedtime is all over the place, you want to get into a regular routine. 

For many people, disrupted sleep cycles are usually either advanced sleep phase disorder or delayed sleep phase disorder. The former occurs when you go to bed fairly early but find yourself waking up in the early hours of the morning. With the latter, you’re more likely to go to bed later and wake up later too.⁵

Chances are, your nighttime routine is out of whack compared to your body’s natural body clock. This affects your sleep quality and over time, it can be really detrimental to your health and well-being. 

Going to bed at the same time and waking up at a set time in the morning are super important for resetting your body’s circadian rhythm. Your body will gradually get into the habit of this sleep cycle.

Try not to be tempted to switch up your routine on the weekends or when you’re on vacation. Straying away from your normal routine can totally undo all your hard work.  That being said also remember to be gentle with yourself. Vacations and holidays tend to throw off schedules as well. Allow yourself some grace to adjust to any time changes or schedule disruptions.

Practice Stress Relief

Finding a method of stress relief that feels good to you is essential for not only good quality sleep but your overall well-being.

Great options for stress relief are:

• physical exercise
• meditation
• play
• doing art
• reading novels
• journaling
• listening to music
• dancing
• socializing with friends

Find a method that works for you and make it a regular part of your schedule. And if you want guidance on how to develop stress reduction practices check out my digital course, Becoming Blissful with Mindful Art. I provide step-by-step instructions on how to reduce stress with art, meditation, and journaling practices for non-artists!

Mindset is Everything

It’s all about knowing the impact of your routines and how important sleep is to your overall health. And believing that you deserve quality sleep. Everything is better and easier after a good night’s rest. And you deserve to rest!

Don’t forget to grab a free copy of your daily mindfulness journal to create a calming daily reflection routine!

Let’s Connect!

I teach women how to reduce stress and feel better in their minds and bodies with simple mindful art techniques. Reducing stress is crucial to getting quality sleep. Check out my digital course, Becoming Blissful with Mindful Art, for guidance on how to create healthy habits, meditate, journal and use art to destress.

References:

1. https://www.gaia.com/article/trouble-sleeping-here-are-5-ways-to-reset-your-circadian-rhythm
2. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/emres/longhourstraining/color.html#:~:text=Blue%20light%20has%20the%20strongest,fall%20asleep%20and%20stay%20asleep.
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6007527/
4. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/php.12241
5. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/advanced-sleep-phase-disorder#:~:text=Advanced%20sleep%20phase%20disorder%20(ASPD)%20and%20delayed%20sleep%20phase%20disorder,circadian%20rhythm%20that%20runs%20later.

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