Dave Hompes Circadian Rhythm - Amazon S34/... · Dave Hompes Circadian Rhythm Circadian ... I asked...

DaveHompesCircadianRhythmCircadian,ordaily,rhythmisoneofthemostoverlookedfactorsinhealth.Everyfunctioninyourbodyistiedtoyourdailymetabolicpattern:appetite,digestion,energy,detoxification,hormones,waking,sleeping,growth,repairandmore,arealltiedwithyourrelationshipwiththelightanddarkcyclesoftheplanet.InsomeofthecasesIhaveworkedwith,fixingcircadianrhythmwasthemostimportantfactortoaddressandmyexperiencesmatchthoseofauthoritiessuchasDr.JackKruse,aneurosurgeonwhoinsiststhatcircadianrhythmisasimportant,ifnotmoreso,thannutrition.TakeToddy,forexample.Toddyisafantasticguy.HeiscurrentlyaprofessionalsoccermanagerinBulgaria,andwasformerlyaPremierLeagueandinternationalplayer.Hewasfeelingtiredandjustnothimself.Wefixeduphisdiet,didaloadoflabtestingandfoundouthisnutritionalandhormonalimbalances.Hetooksometargetedsupplementsandfeltbettertoadegree.However,eventhoughhewaseatingbetterandtakingsupplements,Toddystillfelttiredinthemorning.Iaskedhimwhattimehewasgoingtobed,andhesaid1-2am.Icursedmyselffornotaddressingthisissuesooner,andrecommendedhegraduallypulledforwardhisbedtimeuntilhewasretiringeachnightascloseto10:30pmaspossibleeverynight,includingweekends.Toddy’sentireenergypatternchangedveryquicklyandhefeltontopofhisgame.Despiteawealthofresearchandscientificdata,thewesternmedicalsystemcontinuestoignoretheroleofcircadianrhythminhealthanddisease,andmanypatientsprefertoseekapill,potionorlotion,tofixsymptomsthatarebeingcausedbycircadianmismatches.This,ofcourse,doesn’tworkverywell.Let’smakesurewegetyourcircadianrhythmoptimizedasquicklyaspossiblesoyoubenefitfromahealthyrelationshipbetweenyourself,theEarth,theSunandtheMoon.AboutYourCircadianRhythmTheconceptofcircadianrhythmissimple,butthedetailsarenot.Insimpleterms,it’sallabouthowyourphysiologyandmetabolismsynchronisewiththe24-hourlightanddarkcyclesoftheEarth.Whenyoulookdeeplyintohowthesecyclesaffectyourbody,itbecomescomplex.Atthisstage,I’llkeepthediscussionsimple.Inrecenttimes,thescientificliteraturehasshedincreasinglight(nopunintended)ontheimpactofcircadianrhythmsonhealthanddisease.Thefancytermusedintheliteratureischronobiology(“chrono”=time).Someofthe

commonsymptoms,disordersanddiseasesassociatedwithchangesincircadianrhythminclude:

• Obesity• Energybalanceandmetabolism• Digestivefunction• Microbiome• Hormonefunction• Diabetes• Mooddisorderssuchasanxietyanddepression• Insomnia(obviously,assleepispartofthecircadiancycle)

It’sreallyimportanttopointoutthatyourcircadianrhythmconcernsmuchmorethanjustsleep.Takealookatthediagramsbelow.You’llseethatmanydifferentfunctionsaretiedtocircadianrhythm,includingdigestivefunction,bloodpressure,bodytemperature,reactiontime,hormonelevels,cardiovascularfunctionandstrength.Themoreyouscrambleyourcircadianrhythm,themorechanceyouhaveofdevelopinghealthandperformanceproblems,andthelesschanceyouhaveofovercomingexistingones.

Likeitornot,you’restillananimal

About2.6to2.8millionyearsago,environmentalpressuresintheEastAfricanRiftarealedtoarapidshiftinchimpanzeegenesandgeneexpression,andoutpoppedhumanbeingswithbigbrainsandanabilitytostandontwolegs.Thehumanbrainanditscapacitytohousea“highermind”haveenabledthecreationofanunbelievablearrayoftechnology.Thistechnologybringswithitbenefitanddrawback,pleasureandpain.Electricity,anicewarmbedtosleepin,artificiallight,TVforentertainment,mobilephonesandlaptopsetc.offersignificanthumanbenefitsandpleasures.However,atthesametime,technologybringsadverseconsequencesassociatedwithbasicanimalandphysiologicalrequirements.Ifyouarenotawareofthesepossibleproblems,theymaybecomeastumblingblockinyourquesttoovercomesymptomsandoptimiseyourhealthandperformance.Oneconsequenceofourtechnologicalinventionsisourdisconnectionfromthenaturalcyclesofthesolarsystem.Ultimately,wearestillanimalsthathaveevolvedtolivesynchronouslywithkeymetabolicswitches,triggersanddrivingforces.Thelightanddarkcycleofourplanetisoneofthemostimportantoftheseregulatoryenvironmentalmechanisms,butourtechnology-drivenbehaviorhaschangedourrelationshipwiththiscycle.

WhatisAutophagy?Overthecourseofaday,ahealthycellproceedsthroughametaboliccycle.Atsometimesproteinswillbesynthesized(built)andatotherstheywillbebrokendownordestroyed.Thedestructionpartofthecycleiscalledautophagy,meaning“self-devouring”anditisveryimportant.Although“self-devouring”soundsnastyandmasochistic,optimalautophagyisessentialtohealth.Itisbestdescribedastheprocessbywhichcellscleanoutdebris,detoxify,repairandregeneratethemselves.Autophagyishelpingyougetridofyourfaultypartsandevengobblingupcancerousgrowths.Tostayhealthy,ortoheal,youhavetohaveagoodlevelofautophagy.Thescientificimportanceofunderstandingautophagywashighlightedwhenthe2016NobelPrizeinPhysiologyorMedicinewasawardedtoYoshinoriOhsumiforhisdiscoveriesofmechanismsforautophagy.Whenautophagyisworkingwell,itbringsmanybenefits,including:

• Protectionagainstpsychiatricdisorders

• Preventionofneurodegenerativedisorders• Helpstofightinfectiousdiseases• Regulatesinflammation• Improvesmuscleperformance• Mayhelpcancerprevention(butcanalsosupportcancergrowthonceit

hasdeveloped)Yourdietandlifestylehabitssignificantlyimpactautophagy.Circadianrhythmandsleepdisturbancecandisruptautophagy.Exercise,forexample,affectsautophagyandsodoesfasting.Indeed,intenseexerciseandfastinggreatlyassistautophagy.WhatarethemainCircadianRegulatorsorCues?Ourbodiesneedcuesaboutthetimeofdayfromtheenvironment.Itistheseenvironmentalcuesthatletusknowwhentosynchronisedifferentmetabolicactivities.Thesecuesarecalledzeitgebersortime-givers.Morespecifically,zeitgebermeans“arhythmicallyoccurringnaturalphenomenonthatactsasacueintheregulationofthebody'scircadianrhythms,”or“anyexternalorenvironmentalcuethatentrainsorsynchronizesanorganism'sbiologicalrhythmstotheEarth's24-hourlight/darkcycleand12-monthcycle.”Knowingwhatyourzeitgebersareandhowtheyaffectyouprovidesanopportunitytocontrolandpurposefullyusethemtoyouradvantageratherthanhavingthemcontrolyourphysiologyandrunyourlife!Themajorzeitgebersinclude:

• Lightanddarkcycles–theday/nightandseasonalcycles• Temperature–seasonalcycles• Tides–ifthemoon’sgravitationalpullisstrongenoughtoinfluencethe

hugeoceansofEarth,coulditbethatthemoonalsoinfluencesthetidesofourownfluids?Theword“lunatic”wasactuallydevelopedfromtheconceptofthemooninfluencingbehavior!

• Foodavailability(feeding/starvationcycles)–associatedwithfoodavailabilitythroughthedifferentseasons

• Foodmetabolites(e.g.glucose)–again,relatingtothetypesoffoodyoueatatdifferenttimesoftheyear

• Foodtiming–thetimeofdayyouchoosetoeat• Physicalactivity/rest–typeandtimingofactivityeachdayand

accordingtotheseasons• Socialcontact–aninterestingoneisthesynchronizingofmenstrual

cyclesinwomenlivingtogetherTheDailyLightandDarkCycle

Formostpeople,thelightanddarkcycleofdayandnightistheprimarycircadiancue.Lightexposureanchorshumanlife,includingphysiology,totheriseandfallofthesun.Lightentersyoureyesandphotoreceptorcells,whichtriggernervesignalstotraveltoandhitastructureinyourbraincalledthehypothalamus.Interestingly,hypothalamusisthemasterregulatorofyourthyroid,adrenal,reproductive,digestiveandotherfunctions,whichbeginstoexplainwhylightanddarkaresoimportantintheregulationoffunctionstiedtotheseglands,organsandsystems.Specifically,thereisanervestructureinyourhypothalamuscalledthesuprachiasmaticnucleus(SCN).IknowIsaidI’dkeepthisinformationsimple,butIthinkit’sgoodtoknowthenamesofsomeoftheseimportantbodyparts!ThediagrambelowshowshowtheSCNreceiveslight,whichleadstoresponsesinphysiologyandbehavior.

Theoutputrhythmsshowninthediagramincludethestimulationofthyroid,adrenal,reproductive,digestiveandmanyotherfunctions.ThisadditionaldiagramhighlightstherangeoffunctionsunderthecontroloftheSCN:

AsaresultlightstimulusintotheeyesandthenintotheSCNcanhaveadramaticimpactonyourmetabolism.Ifoundwelloveronehundredstudieslinkingfaultycircadianrhythmwithdigestive,detoxification,liver,kidney,cardiovascular,thyroid,adrenal,reproductiveandotherdisorder.CircadianrhythmuncouplingTechnologyandthebehavioritfacilitatescanuncouplehumancircadianrhythm.Iwouldgoasfarassayingthatnearlyeveryonehassomedegreeofcircadianmismatch,oruncoupling,wheremetabolicfunctionhasfallenoutofsynchwiththelightanddarkand/orannualrhythmofthesurroundingenvironment.Howdoesthishappen?Herearesomeofthecommonwayswecausecircadianmismatches:

• Notgettingtobedattherighttime• Inconsistentbedtimesandwaking/risingtimes• Inconsistenteatingpatterns• Workinglate• Socialengagements-thismessedmeupin2007!• Indoorlightsinthehomeatnight• WatchingTV,computeruse,videogames• Mobile/smartphones• Eatingtooclosetobedtime• Sub-optimalsleephygiene–roomistoolightornoisy,toowarmorcold,

poorbladdercontrol,kidswakingyouup,exposuretoEMFs,etc.• Warmthindoorsduringwinterwhenit’scoldoutside• Eatingfoodsoutofseason• Eatingthewrongfoodsingeneral(junkfood,etc.)• Chronicinflammation-infections,toxins• Stress

Iwillnotaddressallthesefactorshere,butlet’slookatsomeofthemostcommonones.I’llcovertheotherfactorsinseparateinstallments,astheyrequireentirearticlesalloftheirown.Atthispoint,I’dliketomakeaveryimportantstatement–oneyouhaveseenmemakebefore,andoneyou’llseememakemanytimes.

Youcannotexpecttoreversechronichealthcomplaintsoroptimizeperformancebymaintainingthesameenvironmentsinwhichthedecline

wascreatedinthefirstplace.Yourenvironmentismuchmorethanjustfood,digestiveinfectionsandnutrients.ItisEVERYTHINGaroundandinyou.

Theseenvironmentsarebothexternalandinternalandarecoveredindetailseparately.

WhatIambasicallysayingisthatinordertogettowhereyouwanttogo,yourinternalandexternalenvironments,andyourrelationshiptothem,needstochange.SomepeoplefinditeasytoaddresstheissuesI’mabouttoaddress,andsomedon’t.Unfortunatelythereisoftenaclashbetweenhumanhabits,behaviorsandpreferences,andtheactionstepsneededtogetresults.Itisnotalwayseasytoletgoofthethingsyoulikedoing!People-includingthoseclosetoyou-maywellcommentandevencriticizeifyoudaretorebelagainstsociety’sschedule.BluelightcanbereallybadTheelectromagneticspectrumcontainsawiderangeofdifferentfrequencies,butonlyafractionofthesefrequenciesareavailabletooursenseofsightasvisiblelight.Eventhoughwecansee(andhear)butatinyfractionoftheentirespectrum,allwavelengthsinfluenceourhealthandbehaviorandlifeexperience.Oneofthemostintriguingaspectsoflifeisthateverycell,moleculeandatomabsorbsandemitslight,butthatdiscussionisforanothertime.

Inthediagramsaboveyoucanseethefamiliarvisiblelightspectrum,withvioletontheleftandredattheend.Extendingbeyondviolet,wereachultra-violet,thenx-rayandgammarayfrequencies.Extendingpastred,wehaveinfrared,microwave,FM,TVwaves,shortwaveandAM.

Weevolvedtowakeandrisewiththesunandgotosleepaftersunset.Beforemoderntechnology,lightsourcessuchasfire,candles,andlampsemittedyellow,orange,andredlight.Theselightshavemuchlessimpactinourcircadianrhythmandsleep-wakecyclesthanbluelight.Manystreetlights,modernlighting,TV,computers,smartphonesanddigitalclocksresultinmoreblue-whitelightintheenvironmentingeneral.Moreover,astechhasdeveloped,we’vebathedourselvesinbluelightmoreandmoreduringtheeveningandatnight,whichcreatescircadianmismatches,altersmetabolism,hormone,immuneanddigestivefunction.Bluelightisgenerallyfineandbeneficialinthemorningandearlyafternoon,butwe’resimplynotsupposedtobatheinitintheeveningandnighttime,certainlynottotheextentourtechnologyallowsthesedays.KEYPOINT:ithasbeenshownthatexposuretolightattheblueendofthespectrumintheeveningsuppressesmelatoninproduction.Thissuppressionisdose-dependent:themorebluelightthereis,andthelongertheduration

ofexposure,themoremelatoninsuppressionthereis.Melatoninisneededforsleepandcircadianrhythm.Itisaveryimportantantioxidant,supportstheimmunesystemandreducesinflammation.Thislistofmelatonin’sbeneficialeffectsisimpressive,andextendstostomachprotection,reductionofheartburnandGERD,heart,nerveandbrainprotection,bloodpressureanddiabetesmanagement,andmore.Wikipediahasacoupleofusefultablestohelpusunderstandhowpowerfullightiswhenitcomesfromnaturalsources:

Togiveyouanideaofhowsensitivewearetolight,considerthatamere5luxoflight(atinyamount)candisruptcircadianrhythminmice.Thisismuch,muchlowerthanlightsinthehome,andbrightlightdevicessuchasiPhonesandTVsthatemitlightatabout10,000lux.

5luxispresentinyourbedroomevenifyoushutyourlightsoffbuthaveanightlight,orifyouaregettinglightfromstreetlightsorneighbours’securitylights.Ifyouliveinacity,youarelitupallthetimewithbluelightfrequenciesunlessyoudosomethingaboutit.

Amere8luxcaninhibitmelatoninsecretion.StaringattheTV,computerorsmartphoneprovidesabout1250timesthisamount.

BOTTOMLINE:Whenyouareexposedtolight–especiallybluelight–intheeveningoratnight,yourbodythinksitisdaytime.Anymetabolicprocesstiedtocircadianrhythm(i.e.mostofthem!)canbeaffected.Itisnot

unreasonabletocallthisissueLIGHTPOLLUTIONanditisnotunreasonabletoconsiderthesituationamajorpublichealthissue.

Someadditionfactsandfiguresforyou,courtesyofcarefulresearchdonebyJosephCohen,at“SelfHacked”:

“Atheoreticalmodelofdifferenttypesoflightandexposuresindicatesthefollowingformelatoninsuppression:

-Monochromaticredlightat100lux,areasonablelivingroomlightinglevel,wouldtake403hoursofexposuretosuppressmelatoninby50%(hint:redlightatnightispreferredtoblue).

-Candle–66minsuppressesmelatoninby50%

-60-wattincandescentbulb–39minsuppressesmelatoninby50%

-58-wattdeluxedaylightfluorescentlight–15minsuppressesmelatoninby50%

-Purewhitehigh-outputLED–13minsuppressesmelatoninby50%

After1hroflightatmidnight,melatonincouldbesuppressedupto71%,67%,44%,38%,and16%withintensitiesof3,000,1,000,500,350,and200lux,respectively.

Melatoninlevelsarereducedmostwithdilatedpupilsexposedto90minofmonochromaticbluelightfrom2:00to3:30AMatabrightnessof0.1lux,whichisequivalenttothelightofafullmoon.

Bluelight,evenatadim,moonlightlevel(0.1lux),suppressedmelatoninproductionmorethananyotherwavelength.

Peoplewithlightcolouredeyes(blueorgreen,forexample)aremoresusceptibletomelatoninsuppressionbybluelightthanthosewithdarkereyes.”

Ifoundthelastpointabouteyecolourveryinteresting.Assomeonewithbrowneyes,Ihaveneverreallystruggledwithsleepandwonderwhethermyeyecolourdesensitisesmetosomeofbluelight’snighttimeeffects.

Additionalproblemswithbluelightatnight

AsIdelveddeeperintotheresearch,Ifoundstudiesandreviewsrevealinghowcircadiandisruptionadverselyaffectsfertility,placentafunctionandfoetalhealth.

“Bothstablecircadianrhythmsandcyclicmelatoninavailabilityarecriticalforoptimalovarianphysiologyandplacentalfunction.Becauselightexposureafterdarknessonsetatnightdisruptsthemastercircadianclockandsuppresseselevatednocturnalmelatoninlevels,lightatnightshouldbeavoided.”(Reiteretal,2014)

Someadditionalproblematicbluelightexposureeffectsinclude:

• Increasescortisol,whichshouldbeatitslowestintheevening• Increasesalpha-MSH,whichimpactsweightmanagementand

inflammation• Worsenssleepquality(unsurprisingly)

o Increasethetimeittakestofallasleepo Reducetotalanddeepsleepdurationo Reduceoverallsleepqualityo Reducemelatonineffects,suchasincreaseddeepsleepinelderly

insomniacsandincreasedREMsleepinpeoplewithreducedREM• Altersleptinandghrelinlevels,thusaffectingappetiteandsatiety• Raisesriskfordiabetes,heartdisease,weightgain• Mayincreasetheriskof,andcontributeto,glaucomaandmacular

degeneration(eyehealth)• Maycontributetodepressionbyincreasingbraininflammation• Mayincreasecancerriskbyreducingmelatonin’sroleasanantioxidant

anditsroleinboostingglutathioneandotherantioxidantenzymes

IactuallystoppedmyresearchatthispointbecauseIfeltitmoreimportanttowriteeverythingup.Therecomesapointwhereadditionalresearchbecomesoverkill.

Arghhhhh!Thisisacompletepainintheass,isn’tit?Irealisethisinformationisbothdisturbingandagonising.Howthehellareyougoingtoadaptandshiftyourlifestyletominimisethesepotentiallyharmfullightinfluences?We’lllookatsomesimplestrategiesshortly.

It’snotallbad…

AsImentionedearlier,bluelightisn’tnecessarilybad.Infact,whenyou’reexposedtoitattherighttimeofday,bluelightisverybeneficial.Bluelightexposureduringthedaycan:

• Improvesleepatnightbeenhancingmelatoninproduction(theoppositeeffectofbeingexposedtobluelightintheeveningandatnight)

• Inhibitthegrowthofbacteriathatcauseacne• Mayhelptoreduceseasonalaffectivedisorder(SAD)• MayhaveapositiveeffectonneurodegenerativediseaseslikeParkinson’s

andAlzheimer’s• Maystimulatefolliclestimulatinghormoneinwomen,whichenhances

themenstrualcycleandreproductivehealth• Slowedprostatecancergrowthinanimals• Hasbeenshowntoimprovewoundhealinginanimals

Genesthatcontrolyourclock

Beforewelookatsimpleactionstepsforre-settingyourcircadianrhythm,it’sfascinatingthatcircadian“clocks”areundertheinfluenceofgenesaswellastheenvironment.Iwon’tgointotoomuchdetail,butherearesomesnippets:

First,wehavetheimaginativelynamedCLOCKgene(seriously,somegeniusdecidedtocallitCLOCK,whenitsfullnameisclockcircadianregulator).

Agenepolymorphismissimplyatinychangeingenestructurethatcanalterthefunctionofagene.Genecards.orgsaysthisaboutCLOCK:

“Polymorphismsinthisgenemaybeassociatedwithbehavioralchangesincertainpopulationsandwithobesityandmetabolicsyndrome.”

Second,wehaveBMAL1(alsoknownasARNTL),whichbindswithCLOCKstructurally.Accordingtogenecards.org:

“Defectsinthisgenehavebeenlinkedtoinfertility,problemswithgluconeogenesisandlipogenesis(proteinandfatmetabolism,respectively),andalteredsleeppatterns.”

In plain English, this gene increases muscle production and decreases fat cell creation. It also has a significant impact on hormone production and the genes involved in hair growth.

Polymorphisms are also associated with major depressive disorders, heightened responses to antidepressants. They may also increase susceptibility to hypertension, diabetes, and obesity.

OthergenesincludethePERIODgenes,PER1,PER2,andPER3,ARNTL,andthecryptochromegenes,CRY1andCRY2.ThesegenesinteractwithCLOCKandBMALgenes.

Genescaninfluenceyourcircadianclockandrhythm,forsure,butthisdoesn’tgiveanyoneanexcusetonotoptimiselifestyleinfluences.

ActionSteps

Theinformationsofarisinteresting,butoflittleuseunlessitisadaptedintoaseriesofsimple(orrelativelysimple)actionstepsthathelpyoumovetowardsanoptimalcircadianrhythm.Let’sstartwiththeeasierones…

Gettobedatthesametimeeachnight

Goingtobedatthesametimeeachnightisimportant.Thisincludesweekends.It’simpossibletocreatearhythmifyouchopandchangeyourdailyactivities.

Eatatthesametimeeachday(orascloseaspossible)

Eatingatthesametimeeachdayimprovesnotonlythecircadianclock,butalsoeverythingtiedtoit,includingbloodsugar,hormonebalanceanddigestion.

Makelove!

Sexcreateshormonechanges–includingincreasedoxytocin-thatfavoursleep.Plus,it’senjoyable.

Havingdrunkensexwithastrangerat3amdoesn’tcount(Iwouldneverhavedonethisinmytwentiesandearlythirties…ahem).

Getridofalllightinyourbedroom

Thiscanbedoneinseveralways:

• Removeallindoorlight–alarmclocks,phones,LEDs,etc.• Blackoutcurtainsorblindstoblockoutdoorlight• Asastopgap,youcanuseaneyemask,butbeawarethatyourskinsenses

light,notjustyoureyes,sothisisn’tthebestsolution

Blockoutbluelightatnight

Bluelighthasadramaticblockingeffectonmelatonin,sominimisingyourexposureatnightisveryimportant.Evenexposuretoredlightincreasesalertnessatnight,butitdoesn’tsuppressmelatoninproduction.

Bluelightsourcesincludestreetlights,TV,computergames,computermonitors,tabletdevices,smartphones,andlightingfromelectronicdevices.

• Ifyoumustusethesedevices,installbluelightfilters(screenturnsanorangeycolour):

o OnmyMacbook,Iuse“f.lux,”whichistimedtokickinat8pminthesummer,or6pminwinter:https://justgetflux.com/

o OnmyiPhone,Iusethe“NightShift”optioninthe“DisplayandBrightness”setting–Iactuallyhavethephonesetto“red’allday

o “Twilight”and“BluelightFilter”canbeusedonAndroidphones

Getoutsidefirstthinginthemorning

Somepeoplerarelyseethelightofday.U.K.,northernEuropean,andNorthAmericanwinterscancompletelyrobusofsunlightifwe’renotcareful.Leavingthehouseforworkwhileit’sdark,sittingintheofficeallday,thenleavinginthedarknessisfarfromideal.

Practicalsolutionstogettingsunlightwillvaryfromregiontoregionandifsunlightissimplynotavailable,orworkcommitmentspreventyoufromgettingoutinthesun,thereareotheroptions.

Ifit’snotpossibletobatheyourselfinsunlight,eitherbecauseofyourworksituationorbecauseit’sgreyandmiserableoutside,simplylookinthedirectionofthesun,orwherethesunshouldbe.

Batheyoureyesinsunlightforafewminutesasoneofthefirstthingsyoudowhenyouwakeup.Doingsowilltellyoursuprachiasmaticnucleus(SCN)it’sdaytimeandtriggeradominoofimportantmetabolicsignals.

ObviouslyIdon’trecommendlookingdirectlyatthesun,butlookatthelightskyaroundit.Idothiseverymorning,literallyassoonasIwakeup,thenmakeapointofgettingoutsideforafewminuteswhenI’mleavingthehouseandheadingtowork,meetings,etc.

Ifit’snotpossibletolookatthesunbecauseofcloudandmist,youcanuseanindoorbrightlightdevice.

Getsunlightduringtheday

Exposuretosunlightduringthedayhelpstoresetyourcircadianclock.It’snotalwayseasyinwinter,butpleasetrytogetoutinthedaylightwheneveryoucan,andexposeasmuchofyourskintothesunaspossible(withoutgettingburnedinsummer).Thisvideoisquitegoodatexplainingwhythesunisimportantforsettingthecircadianclock:https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=973&v=1zBBmh8xQhM

Blockoutnoisepollution

Ifindthatwearinggoodqualityearplugsmakesanenormousdifferencetomysleepquality.Differentproductsarenotcreatedequally,sotrysomedifferentonestoseewhatworksbest.

Don’teatforfourhoursbeforebed

Itrytomakemylastmealofthedayshouldbeeatenbefore7pmtoaccommodatefourhoursbeforebed,whichisneverlaterthan11pmformeunlessit’saveryspecialoccasion(yes,I’mboring,butwhywouldIwanttoteachyousomethingIdon’tdo?Itwouldbehypocriticaltosaytheleast).

Inanidealworld,thelastmealofthedayoughtreallytobe6to6:30pm,especiallyinwinter.Thereisalittlemoreleewayinsummerduetolongerdays.

Leavingfourhoursbetweenmealshelpstooptimiseautophagy,whichwasdescribedearlierinthearticle.Cellrepairworksbestinafastedstate.

Ifyoueatyourlastmealat,say,6:30pm,leaveatleast13hoursbeforeeatingbreakfast(i.e.7:30amthenextmorning).A13-hourtimewindowhasbeenshowntoprovidesignificantbenefits.

Theonlytimeyouwouldnotdothisisifyourbloodsugarcontrolisnotgood.Ifthisisthecase,youcanusesomerawhoneyandcoconutoilbeforebedtohelpstabiliseyourbloodsugar.

Otherbedtimesnacksthatcanhelpstabilisebloodsugarinclude:

• 1TBSPcollagenpowderdissolvedinasmallglassofwater;thenaddthejuiceofasmallorangeandapinchofsalt;2-3tspcoconutoileatenwiththiscanhelp

• Ifyoudonothaveproblemswithdairyproducts,a“milkcombo”canalsohelp:Warmupasmallcupofmilk,addalittlecoconutoil,onesixthtoonequarterofateaspoonofsaltandsomerawhoney.

Theseconcoctionshelptostabilisebloodsugaratnight,butyouwanttogetyourbloodsugarstableenoughnottoneedthem.Ifbloodsugaristoolowatnightduetostress,bluelight,lowthyroid,liverproblemsandsoon,itwillelevatecortisolandaffectthecircadianrhythm.

Don’texercisetoolate

Exerciseisastressor.Itwillelevatestresshormonesandpotentiallyaffectsleep.Cardiovascularexercisesuchasrowing,running,cycling,andaerobicsclasses,areparticularlynotoriousforelevatingstresshormones.

Ifyougobacktothesecondpageofthisarticle,youwillseethatmusclestrengthandcardiovascularefficiencypeakataround5pm.

Apartfromweekends,Ialwaysdomyexercisebetween4pmand6pm,butIdon’tdomuchcardio/aerobicwork.Itendtodohighintensitytrainingorresistanceexercise.IfI’mlategettingtothegym,I’lltypicallydomorestretchingandhavealighterintensitysession.

Ifpossible,it’sgoodpracticetoexercisenolaterthan6pmwherepossible,whichaccommodatesdinnerat6:30-7pm.Ifthisprovestrickyinitially,traininginthemorningisok,butIdon’trecommendtrainingbeforebreakfast.

Toresetcircadianrhythm,inmyopinionitisbettertofocusoneatingahealthybreakfastwithplentyofproteinandhealthyfacts,andgettingsomesunlight,oratleastdaylight!

Staycoolatnight

Yourbodyisnotsupposedtobetoowarmatnight.Infact,circadiantemperaturecontrolshouldleaveyourbodycoolestatnight.

Usespecialredororangeglasses

Thisisthefirstofour“trickier”strategies.Itmightbeseenasabitgeekyornerdy,butitreallydoeshelp.

Evenifyouusethebluelightfiltersonyourdevices,you’llstillhaveindoorlightingandotherlightexposurethatcandisruptyourcircadianrhythm.

Youcangetroundthisbywearingspecialglasseswithredandorangetints.Someofthemevenlookquitecool.You’lllooklikeaTourdeFranceriderwhileeatingdinner.

WhileIjoke,I’mdeadlyseriousaboutbluelightandwanttobeclearthatsomepeoplewillnotachievetheirtargetresultsinhealthandperformancewithoutblockingbluelightafterdarkirrespectiveofhowmuchtheyalterdietandotherlifestylefactors.Rememberthatbluelighttellsthebrainits’daytime.

Herearesomemanufacturers:

• UVEX(seeAmazonlinks,below)• Swanwick:https://www.swanwicksleep.com/products/swannies-blue-

light-blocking-glasses• Gunnar:https://gunnar.com/lens-technology/#bluelightsection• TrueDarkTM:https://biohacked.com/truedark/

AmazonhasaselectionofSwanwickandUvex:

• https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01N0Y0SNG?ref_=ams_ad_dp_asin_1(UK)

• https://www.amazon.com/Uvex-S1933X-Eyewear-SCT-Orange-Anti-Fog/dp/B000USRG90(US)

Wearyourglasseswhenthesungoesdown,andideallyfor4hoursbeforebed.

Blockout/minimiseEMFexposure

Thisisanimportantandoverlookedtopic,butitrequiresitsownarticle.Electromagneticfieldsinclude:

• Mainselectricity• Wearabledevicesandtrackers• Radiowaves,TVwaves,etc.• Wifi• Cellphoneandotherelectronicequipment• Cordlessphones(thesearenasty,actually)• Mobile/cellphonemasts• Powerpylons• SmartMeters(terriblethingswhenitcomestoEMF)

Thesewillbediscussedindetail,withrecommendationsonhowtominimiseyourexposure,inaseparateinstalment.

Fornow,thesimplestrecommendationsforyoutodoyourbestwithare:

• Turnallmainselectricsoffinyourbedroomatnight• Ifyoucantriptheswitchofyourmainselectricswithoutcompromising

safety,dothisaswell(ideally,alarmsshouldbebatterypowered)• Inthebedroom,turnoffallalarmclocks,mobilephones,cordlessphones,

etc.Don’tleaveanythingswitchedonifpossible• Makesureyourheadisnotclosetoanywiresinthewall,orsockets–try

tosleepasfarawayfromtheseaspossibleandbeawarethatsockets,etc.inthenextroommayaffectyouifyouaresleepingclosetothewall

We’renotlookingforperfectionovernight,butsomeofthesechangeshavemadeimpressivedifferencestosomeclientsandtheyarebasicallyfreetodo.

Reducechronicinflammationandimproveoxygenlevels

Workingondiet,eatinghabits,hydrationandothernutritionallyrelatedfactorswillassistinreducinginflammation.Thekeyinflammatoryfoodsformanypeopleare:

• Gluten• Lectins• Cow’smilk• Soy• Nutsandseeds• Processedvegetableoils

Otherfoodsandfoodgroupsthatmaybeproblematicincludeoxalates,histamine,tyramineandsulphites.

IgGfoodallergiescanbetestedusingafinger-prickhometestkitandwillidentifyindividualfoodsthatmaybetriggeringinflammatoryresponses.

Identifyingdysbiosisandchronicinfectios,particularlyinthegut,butalsoinregardtoskin,mouth,genitourinarytract,andsinusescanbehelpful.

Stooltests,lactulosebreathtestsandorganicacidstestingareusefulstartingpoints.Noteveryonewillneedtodothesetests,andonlyoneortwoofthemmaybenecessary.

Someunluckypeoplehavechronicinfectionsofthebloodandbodytissues.TheseincludeLymediseaseanditsco-infections,mycoplasma,andmoldtoxicity.Moldinthehomeorworkplacecanbeaproblemandmaybeconsideredincaseswheresymptomsarenotimproving.

Generalbloodtestmarkersfromthedoctorthatindicateinflammationareelevateduricacid,C-reactiveprotein,ESR,LDLcholesterolandelevatedlivermarkers(bilirubin,ALT,AST,LDH,ALP).

Workingoneononewithapractitionerwhounderstandshowtoassessanddealwiththesefactorscanbehelpful.

Takestepstoreducestress

ThisisoneofthemostannoyingrecommendationsIseeinthemedicalandnaturalhealthworlds.Wereiteasytoreducestress,everyonewoulddoitwithoutanyproblem.Butit’snotsosimple.

Mental,emotionalandspiritualstress,areubiquitousandcomplexissues.It’snotthetimeandplaceinthisarticletogodeepintothecontextoftheseformsofstress.Thetruthisthatthetopicrequiresitsownarticleseries.

WhatIwillsayhereisthatstressaffectscircadianrhythmbyalteringcortisolandmelatoninlevels.Thestressresponse,alsoknownas“fightorflight,”canbecomechronicallyactivatedandcauseimbalancesincortisol,adrenalineandotherhormonesatthewrongtimeofday.Astheseare“waking”hormones,havinghighlevelsatnightisdisastrousforthecircadianrhythm.

Anythingyoucandotoreduceyourstressresponse,especiallyintheeveningandatnight,willbeofgreatbenefit.Manyoftherecommendationslistedabovedojustthat(e.g.avoidingbluelight).Herearesomeadditionaloptions:

• Soothingmusic(e.g.classicaltunes–Idonotrecommendplayingmusicthatstirsemotions)

• Earlynightandsomehanky-pankywithpartner/spouse• RelaxingmeditationCDsordownloads• Meditationtechniquesyouhavelearnedyourselfinclassesorwith

teachers• Gentlestretchingoryoga-typeexercises

• Slowbreathing(thereareseveralexcellenttechniquesthatIshareelsewhere)

• CDsordownloadsthatplaynaturalsoundssuchasthesea,birdsongorrainfalling,stimulatingspecificbrainwavepatternstocalmandrelaxyou

IhavestressreductiontechniquesthatIconsidertobesuperiortotheonesabove,butIcan’tteachthemwithoutprovidingbackgroundinformation.I’lldothisinseparatearticles.

Biggestchallengeswithallthis…

Oneofthebiggestchallengeswithre-settingcircadianrhythmisthatitoftenmeansyouneedtodothingsyoudon’twanttodo.

• Whowantstogiveuptheirsociallife?• Whatifyouneedtoworkintothenighttomeetdeadlines?• Howwillyoumanageifyoualreadyworknightshifts?• Whatifthekidsarewakingyouupeveryfewhours?

Irealisethisinformationisquitesurprising,possiblyevenalarming,andIrealisetherecommendationsarenotalleasytoimplement.

Youmaynotbeabletoimplementallthepracticalrecommendationsatonceandthat’sfine.

Thisisn’tarace.

Ifyoucanimplementthemajorityoftherecommendationsovera3-6monthperiod,you’redoingverywellandmuchbetterthan99%ofthedevelopworld’spopulation.

ThereasonIwantedtoprovideyouwithafairamountofdetailonthistopicistoshowyouwhyyourdailyhabitsmatter.Onceyouknowthewhy,thehowtendstotakecareofitself.

Dr.JackKruse,afairlyoutspokenneurosurgeon,believescircadianrhythmismoreimportantthandietforsomepeople.Itendtoagree.

Inmyownlife,I’venoticedthatI’mmuchmoresensitivetochangesinmysleeppatternthanIamtochangingmydiet.

WhileIrealisesomeoftherecommendationsinthisarticlemayseemalittleludicrous,weallhavetodecidewhatlevelofhealthwewanttoachieve,andhowimportantreachingthatlevelofhealthiscomparedtothethingswe’redoingthatpreventusfromgettingthere.

• Howbadisit,really,towearbluelightblockingglassesatnight?• Dowereallyneedtouseourphonesandcomputersaftersundown?

• Relativetoourhealth,howimportantisoursociallife?• Willtheworldfallapartifwegotobedearlyasopposedtochasing

ridiculousdeadlines?

Aslongaswork,sociallife,peerpressureandotherfactorsaremoreimportanttousthanthebodywelivein,optimalhealthandperformanceareoutquitepossiblyofreach.

Dietarychanges,labtesting,supplementprotocols,chiropracticadjustmentsandothertherapiesareimportantandveryuseful,buttheycannotpaperoverchasmscreatedbylifestylehabitsthatde-synchroniseusfromcircadianrhythm.

AsDr.Krusesays,youcannotovercomeillnessinthesameenvironmentitwascreated.

Thus,Iurgeyoutothinkveryseriouslyaboutyourcircadianrhythmandtobeginimplementingtherecommendationslistedaboveinaplanned,step-by-stepfashion.

Ithinkyou’llbesurprisedattheresultsandrewardsthesechangesbring.

ReadingListThisisabriefreadinglistcontainingstudiesandreviewpapersfromthemedicalandscientificliterature.Idon’texpectyoutoreadthemall;I’veincludedthemtoshowyouthatthesimplifiedinformationpresentedhereisbasedonsoundscientificandmedicalprinciplesandfindings.Iactuallyhavemanymorestudiesthanthis,mainlyonhowcircadianclocksaffectdigestion,detoxification,liverandkidneyfunction,immunefunction,cardiovascularhealthandneurologicalhealth.Ifyouwouldlikemetosendthemtoyou,pleaseletmeknow.----------Harvardarticleonbluelight:http://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/blue-light-has-a-dark-sideChronobiology,EnergyMetabolismandObesityhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4013188/FoodTimingandWeightLosshttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23357955/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26948400https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24467926

ShiftWorkandDiseaseRisk,includingDiabetesandCancerhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4001827/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25261528https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25794454Zeitgebershttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3504648/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2849779/Lightexposure,dimlight,circadianrhythm,melatoninlevelspublichealthissueshttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15325001https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11379666https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23929553https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24673196https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24933325https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17332164https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2915324/Bluelightandsleepqualityhttp://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsr.12050/fullhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23691095https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14715839https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23691095Circadianrhythm,melatonin,fertilityhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24996495https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24132226https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24954773https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17963275ClockGeneshttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27313610https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23224435http://www.genecards.org/cgi-bin/carddisp.pl?gene=CLOCKhttp://www.genecards.org/cgi-bin/carddisp.pl?gene=ARNTLhttp://www.genecards.org/cgi-bin/carddisp.pl?gene=PER1&keywords=PER1http://www.genecards.org/cgi-bin/carddisp.pl?gene=PER2&keywords=PER1http://www.genecards.org/cgi-bin/carddisp.pl?gene=PER3&keywords=PER1http://www.genecards.org/cgi-bin/carddisp.pl?gene=CRYL1http://www.genecards.org/cgi-bin/carddisp.pl?gene=CRY2http://www.genecards.org/cgi-bin/carddisp.pl?gene=ARNTL----------Pleasefeelfreetoletmeknowifyouwouldlikeacopyofmyever-expandingreferencelistcoveringothercircadianrhythm-relatedtopics.