All humans (and animals!) have built-in clocks which determine their sleep-wake cycle (also known as their natural circadian rhythm). The human circadian rhythm runs on a 24-hour clock which also determines body temperature, hormone regulation, sleepiness and wakefulness. The circadian rhythm is actually pretty complex and can also play a big part in your appetite and when you feel hungry, cell regeneration, your brain activity (learning and memory) and mood.

For centuries humans simply went to sleep when it was dark and woke up with the early morning light. There is definitely some natural variance within the sleep-wake cycle with some of us tending to be naturally early risers and some of us might have more of a tendency to stay up late and indulge in night owlish behaviour!

With the invention of the light bulb approx. 130 years ago it has become much more common to stay up late and socialise when it is dark while also delaying our natural sleep-wake cycles. Research has shown that it is much healthier for our bodies to try and get to sleep earlier and then also wake up earlier.

Circadian rhythms in humans are governed by our environment and are largely habitual. Sleep researchers call this process entrainment. Getting a great night’s sleep is a learned process as you train your body to sleep well. Your past sleep and how well you have slept also helps to determine your future sleep.

Exposing yourself to plenty of light first thing in the morning ensures that you will feel sleepy earlier in the evening whereas staying up late and being exposed to lots of artificial lighting from LED bulbs, televisions, and tablets etc. will delay your sleep-wake cycle, the light will keep you awake for longer, you won’t feel sleepy and it can also interfere with natural melatonin production. In the evening before we drag ourselves into bed we start producing the hormone melatonin which is responsible for regulating our sleep-wake cycle.

When we regularly stay up late and then struggle to get out of bed each morning we can also get ourselves into a ‘sleep debt’. Sleep is really important (especially for women! Did you know that women need on average 20 minutes more sleep than men each night?!).

Check out our five tips on how you can use light to your best advantage and get a fantastic night’s sleep below:

1. GET UP EARLY!

Try and create a habit to get up early every day. When we change our sleeping patterns in the weekend it can then be difficult to get back on track come Monday morning. If you are extra tired from socialising late it is much better for your body to have an afternoon nap (when our energy levels naturally dip anyway) than to rapidly change our sleep schedule on certain days of the week. As I mentioned above getting up early is a learned behaviour, the more that you get up early, the easier and more natural it becomes to your body!

When you rise make sure you get plenty of light so that you can signal to your body that it is morning and you are supposed to be awake! Open all of the blinds and if it is still a little dark outside I like to turn on the lights for awhile as well. Plenty of morning light can help to naturally change your sleep-wake cycle when you are transitioning into getting up early.

If you live somewhere where the days are really short and the weather is also quite overcast and grey you can invest in a special therapy light for your home that can help to signal to your body that it is daytime/awake time and it can also help to prevent SAD (seasonal affective disorder).

Exercise is also a really good thing to do when you first wake up (plus it is much better for you than coffee!). Try and get out for a walk first thing in the morning. A morning walk is going to be particularly good for you if you have to work inside or in an office throughout the day.

Training yourself to naturally want to get up early is a process! It helps to create something that you want to do each morning (much like you would in the evening!). Often we just get up at the last time we possibly have to (after several missed alarms!), then get ready and rush out the door to work, school or planned activities. Make sure you plan something special into your morning that is just for you so that you have something to look forward to getting up earlier for.

Start a new morning exercise habit, set aside some time to read or be creative, or have breakfast with your partner/family each morning before you leave the house. Create special routines that enable you to enjoy those golden morning hours when it seems that the rest of the world is still asleep.

2. SPEND TIME OUTSIDE EVERY DAY:

As mentioned above it really is so important to spend time outside every day (particularly so in Winter). We are not really designed to be spending our lives in boxes. Make sure you make it a priority to plan activities outside each day – even just half an hour in the morning and the evening can do wonders! Exercising every day also helps with sleep entrainment.

Lux is what helps to describe both the distance and brightness of light. This site discusses the lux measurement of different types of light which is really interesting. The lux of bright sunlight is between 32,000 to 130,000 whereas the lux of an office space with windows is only 640. If you head outside for a bit on an overcast day the lux is still 10,240 which is so much brighter and lighter than being indoors or in an office building so that is why it can be so important to get outside when you can – even in the middle of Winter!

Exposing your body to a good amount of bright light every day can help with your mood, energy levels, motivation and happiness.

3. DIM LIGHTS IN THE EVENING:

We don’t think about it to much and completely take evening light for granted but we have only had the option of bright evening lighting for the past 130 years or so. Before then we would have only been exposed to candlelight or dimly lit lamps. Bring back the candles! Have a relaxing candlelit evening bath or do a cosy yoga flow lit only by candles.

You can also install dimmer switches on rooms that are likely to be used mostly in the evening like your lounge or your bedroom. As the evening progresses on dim the lights down to naturally prepare your body for sleep. Even dimmed light, however, can delay sleep cycles in sensitive individuals which is why it is really best to try and get to sleep earlier!

4. BLOCK BLUE LIGHT:

The light emitted from devices like televisions, laptops, phones, kindles, ipads etc. has a large number of blue rays which is the light that has been found to interfere with melatonin production in the evening. Put blue light blocking apps on all of your devices.

A lot of newer devices will now have them built in so just search for ‘night mode’ or ‘blue light blocker’ (I have the blue light blocker permanently on my phone!). You can also buy special blue light blocking glasses for working in the evening or during the day if you notice that your sleep is suffering from too much screen use.

At the bare minimum, a full hour of device-free time before you sleep is going to be fantastic for your body or at the very least you can try for half an hour. Create a wind down to sleep routine which may include a shower/self-care, some relaxing herbal tea like chamomile, stretching/yoga, meditation, reading, journaling, playing soft music and cuddling 🙂

A lot of the bulbs we are using now are LED bulbs which are great for the environment but not so great for our bodies as they contain blue light. Blue light boosts attention and memory and can reduce the production of Melatonin which helps to create sleepiness and prepare our bodies for sleep. Red light has actually shown to be the least disruptive to our circadian rhythm.

5. AVOID LIGHT WHILE SLEEPING:

Our bedroom space is really important in whether it is conducive to good sleep or not. Sleeping with any kind of light has shown to limit melatonin production. Blackout blinds or thermal backing on your curtains can ensure that you are not disturbed by a full moon, street lamps or any outside lighting or traffic. You can also purchase a sleep mask which works well for some people.

Surprisingly light from electronics can also interfere with our melatonin production and sleep cycle. Think charging lights, alarm clocks, night lights, computer sleep mode lights. It is best to sleep with no electronics in your bedroom or at the very least make sure they are all powered down and are not emitting any light still.

The best way to wake up in the morning is to set your alarm on your phone (make sure it is loud enough so that you will hear it!) and then simply pop it in another room. You will have to get up to turn it off, so you can’t repetitively hit that snooze and if you wake up in the night you won’t be tempted to check it or stay up later than intended playing on your phone! (For extra brownie points then pop your work out gear right next to your phone).

Good night ♥

Links:

What is entrainment of Circadian Rhythms in Sleep? From Very Well Health
Light and Sleep from Tuck
Circadium Cycles and Sleep from Tuck
Blue Light has a Dark Side from Harvard Health

Struggling with Sleep? Check out our best Get To Sleep Tips!

(Photo: Vera Cho via. Unsplash)