How to Fix Circadian Rhythm: Improving Your Sleep Schedule

Your circadian rhythm is your internal biological clock, and it determines the steadiness of your sleep-wake cycle. It relies on both internal and external cues to tell you when to get tired and when to rise in the morning. These sorts of cues—also known as “zeitgebers”—can also occasionally destabilize this innate rhythm and make it difficult to sleep.

Your suprachiasmatic nucleus (or SCN) resides in your hypothalamus and controls your circadian rhythm. This part of the brain generally operates on a twenty-four–hour cycle, releasing cortisol in the morning and coordinating with the pineal gland to facilitate melatonin production at night. These two chemicals make you wakeful and sleepy, respectively. This internal process relies on many different factors—like light exposure, exercise levels, and others—that can either help regulate or destabilize your circadian rhythm.

Your circadian rhythm might get thrown off balance for a litany of reasons. Here are just three ways you might disrupt your body’s internal clock:

1. 1. Doing late-shift work: If you work a nontraditional schedule, you might find it harder to get the recommended eight hours of sleep. Night shift workers, for instance, must sleep during the day—and the amount of light during daytime tells your body clock it’s time to be awake, not asleep. To mitigate sleep problems like this, consider buying blackout curtains for your bedroom to simulate nighttime conditions.
2. 2. Pulling an all-nighter: Sometimes staying up all night is unavoidable. Maybe you were on your cell phone all night dealing with a family crisis or perhaps you had an especially hectic work schedule during the week. Whatever the reason, your body will likely need time to reset and restore its natural circadian rhythm after an all-nighter. Give it time and better sleep will return naturally.
3. 3. Succumbing to jet lag: Your usual sleep pattern might get thrown into disarray when you travel across time zones. The sun might even rise when your body expects it to set in certain situations. Jet lag usually takes a few days to go away, but it can still prove to be an annoyance that leaves you temporarily feeling sleep-deprived.

You can restore your circadian rhythm to a sense of normalcy fairly fast after a bout of interrupted sleep. Keep these tips in mind as you try to reset your circadian rhythm:

• Be mindful of artificial light exposure. In the morning, exposure to plenty of natural light lets your circadian rhythm know it’s time to wake—unfortunately, at night, artificial blue light can do the same thing. Cut down on screen time with electronic devices in the hours leading up to bed. Conversely, if you live in a gloomier climate, consider bright light therapy in the morning to get your body clock ticking at the right time.
• Consult a trained professional. Doctors can help you delineate between minor sleep problems and more serious disorders. Most of the time, any disruption to your circadian rhythm will be temporary. Still, in some cases, you might have a more severe circadian rhythm sleep disorder. Meeting with a sleep specialist or your general practitioner can help you start sleeping more soundly regardless.
  
• Exercise vigorously. If you’re trying to start a new sleep routine, getting into the habit of exercising can greatly help you in your efforts. When you exercise, you tire out your body and make it crave sleep all the more. Vigorous workouts help speed up your circadian clock to get you ready for bed earlier.
• Make gradual changes. Your internal clock will have an easier time adjusting to optimal status if you make changes in increments rather than attempt anything drastic. If you usually go to bed at midnight, crawling into bed at nine will likely lead to tossing and turning, leaving you feeling frustrated. Instead, gradually move your wake time earlier and do the same for your bedtime. This will ease you into a new circadian rhythm more suitable to your sleep goals.
• Set a consistent sleep schedule. Sticking to the same bedtime routine is one of the most important aspects of sleep hygiene. Of course, some circumstances (like daylight saving time) will inevitably throw off your usual schedule. Try to make these situations the exception instead of the norm.
• Stay awake all day. Night owls who have to wake early might want to succumb to sleepiness and take a nap during the day. While there’s nothing wrong with doing so, remember naps can cause a reduction in sleep quality and sleep onset for the upcoming night. Staying awake all day helps you fall asleep faster at night.
• Steer clear of quick fixes. Healthy sleep requires establishing long-term sleep habits instead of relying on quick fixes. Stimulants like caffeine and depressants like alcohol might seem to help with waking or sleeping, but they’ll also disrupt your natural circadian rhythm. If you need some short-term relief, try melatonin supplements as an alternative or see a doctor to talk about a short-term prescription of sleep medicine.

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