Circadian Rhythm

Life on earth follows the movement of the sun. The blue light that is emitted from the sun stimulates our brain to say it is time to rise. Our waking hormone, cortisol, surges, waking us up.

Many people have difficulty waking up, but, if 30-45 minutes after waking, you feel okay, then you are probably making enough cortisol to get you going. 50% of all the cortisol you make in a day is secreted between 30-45 minutes after waking.

To maintain your energy throughout the day, please read the section about blood sugar regulation.

Cortisol gradually declines throughout the day, whereas melatonin gradually increases, helping you to fall asleep.

Blue Light

Today, LED lights are everywhere! They are environmentally friendly, but unfortunately they emit a lot of blue light altering our brains understanding of the daily cycle.

Adjust Your Body Clock

Wake with the sun

Make sure your brain is aware that it is daytime when you wake up. This can be accomplished by looking toward the sun, allowing the blue light to enter the brain. You can also use a light machine such as: Philips goLITE BLU Light Therapy Device. If you don’t see the sun in the morning and cannot invest in a light machine, try to go outside in the late morning to absorb the sun’s light.

Filter out the blue light

Change the brightness settings on your smart phone to filter out blue light. Block the blue light emitted from your television, and minimize brighter lights in the dark hours by utilizing night lights. You can also purchase amber glasses:

How Artificial Light Is Wrecking Your Sleep, and What to Do about It