How to Improve Your Circadian Rhythm and Why It’s So Important

Daylight Savings Time is right around the corner! Even though it’s just an hour, the time changes it brings can throw off our sleeping habits. It begs the question—why do we do this again?

The practice goes back over 50 years. The idea behind it is that, by shifting the clocks twice a year, we can take advantage of more daylight in the summer and save on fuel. Legislation has come and gone to make daylight savings permanent, meaning we would shift the hours of the day in the spring and just never shift back. Some states are considering or have already adopted this.

But, for most of us, daylight savings is here to stay (for now). The best thing we can do is take the transition seriously for the sake of our personal health—and that starts with understanding our circadian rhythm. 

What is Circadian Rhythm?

Circadian Rhythm, also known as your “sleep cycle,” is your body’s natural 24-hour cycle. It dictates the physical, mental, and behavioral changes that take place over a 24-hour period with light and dark having the most influence.¹ When you live in sync with that cycle, it means your circadian rhythm is in balance. 

Your circadian rhythm has a major impact on your body’s daily function, including your eating habits, digestion, body temperature, hormone release, and more.²

Circadian Rhythm Disruption

Research shows that when your circadian rhythm gets thrown out of whack, it can have a significant effect on cells, tissues, and organs in the human body.³ Because circadian rhythm impacts mood, any disruptions can also negatively affect mental health.⁴

Sunlight exposure is one of the key factors in keeping your circadian rhythm in check. Likewise, lack of sleep, artificial light at night, and illness have the potential to throw it off.⁵ Fortunately, there are steps you can take to help balance your circadian rhythm.

Fixing Circadian Rhythm

The Sleep Foundation offers these tips to help correct circadian rhythm disruption and thereby improve sleep quality and quantity:⁶

• Stick to a consistent sleep routine—go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
• Soak up some sunshine soon after you wake up to kickstart your body’s light exposure.
• Avoid eating close to bedtime.
• Keep your alcohol and caffeine intake in check.
• Try not to squeeze in workouts too late.
• Cut down on screen time from TVs, phones, tablets, and computers a few hours before you hit the hay.

Research also demonstrates that light therapy and nutrient supplementation may help support a balanced circadian rhythm and sound sleep.⁷ Driftoff, our non-habit-forming sleep support, uses gentle nutrients like L-tryptophan and GABA, plus a modest 3 mg of melatonin, to help you rest easy and transition to new hours.*

As daylight saving time rolls in, take a moment to focus on balancing your circadian rhythm—it’s key to keeping your health and wellness in check.

Follow @zhou_nutrition for more fitness and wellness tips!

*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

References

1. National Institute of General Medical Sciences. Circadian rhythms. NIH. 2023;Sept. https://www.nigms.nih.gov/education/fact-sheets/Pages/circadian-rhythms.aspx
2. Reddy S, Reddy V, Sharma S. Physiology, circadian rhythm. StatPearls. 2023;May 1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519507/?report=reader#_NBK519507_pubdet_
3. Voigt RM, Forsyth CB, Keshavarzian A. Circadian disruption. Alcohol Res. 2013;35(1):87-96. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3860420/
4. Walker II WH, Walton JC, DeVries AC, Nelson RJ. Circadian rhythm disruption and mental health. Translational Psychiatry. 2020;10. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-020-0694-0
5. Brainard J, Gobel M, Scott B, et al. Health implications of disrupted circadian rhythms and potential for daylight therapy. Anesthesiology. 2015;122(5):1170-1175. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4632990/
6. Summer J, Cotliar D. How to fix your circadian rhythm: 6 easy steps. Sleep Foundation. 2024;Mar 11. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/circadian-rhythm/can-you-change-your-circadian-rhythm#references-251584
7. Vasey C, McBride J, Penta K. Circadian rhythm dysregulation and restoration: the role of melatonin. Nutrients. 2021;13(10). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8538349/