Our biological clock, also known as our circadian rhythm, is a natural, internal process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle of our body. It’s also sometimes known as our internal clock or body clock.
A biological clock can be viewed as the interplay between hormones and light, controlled by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the brain. The SCN is found in the hypothalamus.
The SCN receives information from our eyes about the amount of light in our environment and uses this information to regulate our body’s functions, including the sleep-wake cycle. This is why our body naturally feels more awake during the day when there is more light and more tired at night when it’s dark.
Our body’s internal clock is important in controlling when we sleep and wake up. The biological clock is affected by many factors, some of which include traveling across time zones or working night shifts. When we travel to a different time zone, our biological clock is still synced to our home time zone, causing us to feel jet lagged.
Similarly, working night shifts can disrupt our biological clock, as our body is naturally programmed to sleep at night and be awake during the day.
This can lead to sleep disturbances and difficulty adjusting to a new sleep-wake schedule.
Consistency is key when optimizing sleep with your biological clock. Here are a few ways in which you can work with your internal clock to optimize your sleep:
Get morning sun
In addition to establishing a consistent sleep schedule, getting exposure to morning sun can also help optimize our sleep with our biological clock.
When we expose ourselves to natural light in the morning, it helps reset our biological clock and signal to our body that it’s time to be awake and alert. This exposure to bright light early in the day can help regulate the production of melatonin, the hormone that helps regulate sleep, and improve our sleep quality. Those who don’t get enough sun tend to sleep for longer hours and get a lesser sleep quality.
Establish a consistent sleep schedule
One of the best ways to optimize our sleep with our biological clock is to establish a consistent sleep schedule. This means going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, even on weekends. By doing this, we are training our biological clock to expect sleep at a certain time, making it easier to fall asleep and wake up at the appropriate times.
