Introduction
Are you having trouble sleeping? Do you feel exhausted and sluggish during the day, no matter how much rest you get? We all know how important it is to get a good night’s sleep.
As we age, however, our circadian rhythms can become out of whack. If you’re tossing and turning all night and feeling beyond tired during the day, your circadian rhythm might be off balance. Don’t stress – it can be reset! Here are 9 tips for resetting your circadian rhythm so that you can start feeling more rested and alert in no time.
9 Tips To Reset Your Circadian Rhythm
- Exercise Regularly: Exercise is essential for your physical and mental health, but it also has the added benefit of helping you maintain a healthy sleep schedule. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise per day – any activity that gets your heart rate up will do. Take a walk around your neighborhood or hit up an online yoga class — whatever works best with your schedule. Just make sure you don’t do any strenuous exercise too close to bedtime or else it may make it more difficult to fall asleep.
- Avoid Caffeine Late in the Day: Caffeine is a stimulant, so drinking coffee or tea late in the day can make it more difficult for you to fall asleep when bedtime rolls around. Avoid drinking coffee after lunchtime. Don’t forget about those energy drinks and sodas that have caffeine too!
- Avoid Blue Light Before Bedtime: Staring at screens late into the evening can disrupt your internal clock and make it harder for you to get quality sleep at night. Blue light emitted from electronic devices like smartphones, TVs, and laptops can interfere with your body’s production of melatonin – you know the hormone responsible for regulating sleep. To avoid this problem, try turning off screens at least one hour before bedtime and dimming the lights at home after sundown if possible.
- Follow A Bedtime Routine: Creating a nightly routine will help signal to your brain and body that it’s time for bed soon. It’ll be easier for you to fall asleep when bedtime rolls around each night. Your routine could include anything from taking a warm bath or shower to reading a book or listening to soothing music—whatever helps relax you and get ready for sleep. Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet; invest in blackout curtains if necessary; consider using soothing essential oils like lavender or chamomile; and make sure that only comfortable bedding touches your skin as you snooze. This will help keep your body in sync with its own internal clock.
- Stay Away From Alcohol Before Bedtime: While alcohol may make you drowsy initially, its effects wear off quickly—leaving you wide awake again. Plus, drinking alcohol too close to bedtime can disrupt your natural sleep cycle and leave you feeling tired during the day; so best avoid it if possible.
- Get Enough Sunlight During The Day: Sunlight helps regulate our circadian rhythms by telling our brains when it’s time to wake up and go to sleep; so try getting at least 30 minutes of sunlight each day. This could mean taking a walk outside during lunch break or simply opening up the curtains in the morning—anything that helps get some natural light into your home throughout the day. Spend some time outside in natural light if possible, but even just sitting by a window during the daytime can help regulate your body’s clock. If you’re stuck inside working most of the day, try taking short breaks outside throughout the afternoon for some fresh air.
- Add Magnesium To Your Diet: Magnesium helps relax muscles in the body and may even act as a mild sedative, making it easier for you to drift off into dreamland when nighttime comes around again. You can get magnesium through foods such as spinach, avocado, nuts, seeds, and dark chocolate – yum!
- Stick to a Schedule: The most important thing you can do to reset your circadian rhythm is to stick to a consistent sleep schedule. Going to bed and getting up at the same time every day will help your body learn when it’s time to rest and when it’s time to wake up. Make sure you’re giving yourself enough hours of sleep each night—most adults need between 7-9 hours—but don’t oversleep. Give yourself an hour or two of wind-down time before bed each evening too; this will help your body chill and prepare for sleep.
- Make Sleep an Uninterrupted Priority: Finally, try not to skimp on sleep if possible; On average aim for 7–9 hours per night but remember everyone’s sleep needs are different. And don’t forget the amount of sleep we need decreases as we age. It may also help create a soothing pre-bedtime routine that gets you ready for bed without distractions like screens or work tasks – this could involve taking a hot bath with Epsom salts or doing some gentle yoga stretches just before calling it a night.
Conclusion
Your circadian rhythm is an important part of your overall health; if it’s out of balance then you can feel tired during the day no matter how much rest you get. While there are many things that can throw off your natural sleep-wake cycles — such as blue light exposure, and inconsistent bedtimes — there are also plenty of ways you can reset and re-balance yourself so that you feel well-rested again in no time!
Try out some of these tips today; your future self will thank you. And remember — give yourself grace if any days are tougher than others; sometimes life happens. Just keep trying until you find what works best for you. If you need a little extra help, let me know and I’ll send you my free guide for Strategies For Better Sleep.
***Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice***
