Health/Self-Improvement

Living in Harmony with Nature

How to use the Circadian Clock to promote your health and well-being

I grew up in Pakistan and consider myself doubly blessed to have lived in a multi-generational household with not just one, but both my grandmothers. I look back with great fondness at the countless precious childhood memories, the amazing opportunity to learn from their wisdom — traditions, and rituals I hold dear to this day.

As a child though, I have to admit, I was not terribly keen on sharing a bedroom with my grandmother, as it meant having to turn my lights off well before I wanted to sleep & being awakened by her early morning routine at the crack of dawn.

Childhood re-visited

One of the many things I admired my grandmothers for, was their strict adherence to and their appreciation of time…of each and every passing minute. Of course, back then I wasn’t particularly impressed by their inflexible timetables: They would eat at fixed times every day; an early breakfast after the morning prayer, some fruit in between as a snack, lunch, a cup of tea after a short afternoon nap, and an early dinner.

Come rain or shine, this routine would be strictly adhered to, with no exceptions. You could be a special guest joining us for dinner, but you could only enjoy the pleasure of my grandmothers’ company if you came on time.

If you were held up for some reason, you would be told in an apologetic tone, they had eaten and have now retired. I found it hopelessly rigid at the time, but now realise they simply honoured our connection with nature and were always in tune with its cycles.

Being so disciplined, it’s no wonder they both lived healthy and long lives, well into their 90s.

The Circadian Rhythm

The problem we are facing today as a society is that our natural body rhythms are out of synch because of a complete disregard for natural clocks. A Circadian rhythm or cycle describes our 24-hour internal clock, which, influenced primarily by sunlight, affects our physical, mental, and behavioural patterns.

At the heart of it all is the timing of everything, for it is not only what we eat, but when we eat that is key. Similarly, it is not only a question of how much we sleep, but also when we sleep, which is crucial.

Based on our exposure to light-dark cues, the circadian cycle gives us the ideal times for sleeping, eating, exercising, and even when to engage in serious thought. If we eat at irregular times, indulge in many snacks in between, sleep erratically at different times & for different amounts, it can lead to several imbalances negatively impacting both our physical and mental health.

The Circadian clock is divided into four six-hour periods:

Early Morning

6 am-12 pm: Our stress hormone, cortisol, is released naturally early in the morning during this time period. This also happens to be the period where blood pressure increases & testosterone levels are the highest. As a result, there’s a peak in our strength, energy & alertness.

It is the best time to exercise and undertake projects which require focus and energy. That explains why I love my morning walk and yoga routine and also why I am able to get my most dense, challenging reading done at this time- my brain is sharpest early in the morning!

Important to note, and something I wasn’t aware of till my research on the subject, is the negative impact of having coffee before 8 am. An early cup of coffee can compound the effects of naturally released cortisol, conveying a signal to the body that it is under extreme stress, sending it into survival mode. In order to avoid this, you shouldn’t have coffee so early in the morning or if you find you can’t do without, then just a very small cup.

Mid-day

12 pm- 6 pm: Afternoons are when our lung function is at its best and our body temperature is highest. One is quick, sharp, having the best possible hand-eye coordination and the fastest reaction time.

This perhaps explains why we are always advised to cover long-distance drives during the day. Nighttime driving naturally leads to many more oversights due to sluggishness and hence, accidents.

However, mid-afternoon around 3 pm especially, also happens to be the time when our body is tired, and more often than not might need stress relief. A short rest, mindful breathing exercises, or a brief stroll outside (no, don’t grab another coffee to wake yourself up instead!), can do wonders for restoring energy.

Evening

6 pm-12 am: Melatonin, the sleep-regulating hormone, is naturally released in our bodies between 9–10 pm signaling to us that its time to prepare for both sleep, as well as repair and restore mode.

And this is the crux of the problem, we are facing today: according to a study sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency, the average American spends over 90% of his or her time indoors.

So, during the day, there isn’t enough bright light exposure, and then in the evening, we’re getting too much artificial light exposure. Blue light emitted from our TVs, computer screens and smartphones suppresses the natural release of melatonin because it fools our body into believing it is still day.

Both of these have the consequence of causing our natural body rhythms to get out of sync, having serious repercussions on our physical as well as our mental and emotional health.

Melatonin supplements can help (a lot of people take them to counter jetlag when travelling or to counter insomnia), but it’s best to have lots of exposure to natural sunlight during the day & to limit the use of devices at night, at least a couple of hours before going to bed.

Nighttime

12am — 6am: The body naturally repairs, restores and recharges itself while we are asleep at night. It is a built-in self-regulating cleansing system with the function of eradicating waste and toxins.

The liver neutralises harmful substances like alcohol, medicines or chemicals found in our food. The function of the liver shifts from producing bile to aid in digestion to the very important task of removing toxins from 10 pm to 3 am.

At this time of night, our brain cells are repaired and recharged as well, with any wasteful build-up from brain cells being removed. This restoration work helps in the proper formulation of memory and our ability to think clearly the following morning. As a result, we awaken refreshed and recharged, ready to tackle another day.

If we fail to allow our bodies to rest and recover during this designated time, our physical and mental health is bound to suffer. Studies have shown that circadian rhythm disruptions affect our moods and behaviours, with evidence supporting claims such as the severity of MDD (major depressive disorder) is associated with the degree of disruption of circadian rhythms.

Wake-up call

I often look back and think of my grandmothers & the admirable way in which they adhered to these natural cycles. Today, there is a dire need to harness the power of ritual and routine, honouring the sacred practices of our past generations.

Perhaps to make it seem less daunting, we can start with small steps like trying to go to bed a little earlier, rising earlier and then adding small changes progressively: a few minutes of solitude, meditation, yoga stretches at the beginning or end of the day and having a hearty meal somewhere in the middle.

I look at my children today, who eat when they feel like it, sleep late, wake up late, any semblance of routine has departed from their online world ( what little structure was left being snatched by virtual schooling over the last two years).

And yet, I am hopeful, that somewhere in the recesses of their mind, their mother’s routine is being registered. And just as I came to appreciate the wisdom behind the daily practices of my grandmothers and mother, in time so shall they.

If you enjoyed this, chances are you’ll also enjoy part II:

References:

The Ayurvedic Self-Care Handbook: Holistic Healing Rituals for Every Day and Season by Sarah Kucera

A version of this article was first published in the Elephant Journal. Revised and edited for Medium.