Gary Brecka explains how aligning your sleep schedule, meals, and exercise with your circadian rhythm improves sleep quality, metabolism, and mental health. He recommends getting morning sunlight, eating at consistent times, and building an evening routine that winds you down before bed.
Questions this video answers
10 to 15 minutes
At least 2 hours, aiming for up to 3 hours before bedtime
As little as 20 minutes at the beginning of each day
30 to 45 seconds
The first 45 minutes of the day have no UVA or UVB rays and contain healthy blue light
Chapters
Why should you care about their circadian rhythms and their cycles? Well, aligning your lifestyle with these natural cycles can have profound benefits on your health, performance and your sleep. Circadian alignment has been associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer's, depression, bipolar disorder, obesity and diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and immune dysfunction. By now, you might be wondering how to start implementing these changes. Here's a few actionable steps to help you get started. Number one. Ultimate Human. Hey guys, welcome back to the Ultimate Human podcast. Today we're diving deep into a topic that can profoundly impact your health and well being. Circadian rhythms. Many of you might not realize the power of these natural biological cycles and what they have on your life. But by aligning your lifestyle with them, you can optimize both health and performance as well as your sleep. Circadian rhythms are essentially the 24 hour internal clocks that govern when you feel awake and when you feel sleepy. They're influenced by external cues like light and temperature. Think of a circadian rhythm as your body's natural way of synchronizing with the day and the night. Why should you care about their circadian rhythms and their cycles? Well, aligning your lifestyle with these natural cycles can have profound benefits on your health, performance and your sleep. According to one study in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, circadian alignment has been associated with a lower risk of neurological disorders or like Alzheimer's, psychiatric conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder, even metabolic disorders like obesity and diabetes, cardiovascular disease and immune dysfunction. It sounds amazing, right? Let's dive a little deeper. First, let's talk about sleep. Sleep is the absolute foundational cornerstone of health, and our circadian rhythm plays a crucial role in regulating it. To harness the power of your circadian rhythm, try to get to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. This consistency helps regulate your body's internal clock and can have significant improvements on your sleep quality. I just finished a sleep study with thousands of people and one of the simple changes that we made was a consistent bedtime. And it had profound effects on sleep, something called recovery and a measure of strain, which is how how well adapted your body is and prepared for stress. And remember, exposure to natural light during the day, especially, especially in the morning, can help keep your circadian rhythm on track. So make it a habit to step outside and soak up that morning sun. One of my favorite things to do every morning. Now let's move on to nutrition. Did you know that your circadian rhythm also influences your metabolism? According to a study published by the Interface Focus Aligned circadian rhythms are linked to metabolic health, reducing the risk of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases like hypertension, and even coronary artery disease. Eating at consistent times each day can help your body better regulate hunger, hormones and blood sugar levels. Aim to have your meals around the same time each day and try to have your last meal at least two to three hours before bedtime. I cannot emphasize this enough. Another one of the metrics that we looked at during my last sleep challenge was stopping our food intake two to three hours before bed. Absolutely two hours with a shot at trying as close to three hours as possible. I know some of you guys that are in working environments and nine to fives, it's really hard to get home in time to eat and still have three hours before bedtime. So for those folks, shoot for at least two hours before bed. This gives your body time to digest your food before you sleep, which can improve your sleep quality and your overall health. We can't skip over the importance of physical activity. Our bodies are naturally more alert and physically capable at certain times of the day. For most people, the best time to exercise is in the late morning or early afternoon when body temperature and muscle function peak. However, the most important thing is to find a time that works best for you and stick to it. Regular exercise, even as little as 20 minutes at the beginning of each day at the same time can help reinforce your circadian rhythm and improve your sleep and energy levels. Don't forget about mental health. Aligning your activities with circadian rhythm can also enhance your mental well being. Engaging in stimulating activities and social interactions during the day and winding down in the evening can help regulate your mood and your stress levels and better regulate the difference between cortisol and melatonin. Your main sleeping and waking hormones create a relaxing evening routine that signals your body that it's time to unwind. This could include activities like reading, gentle yoga, meditation, or one of my favorites, which is contrast therapy, which is a very warm shower followed by a short burst of cold 30 seconds to 45 seconds. This is not your morning cold shower or your cold plunge. Just a little cold exposure right as you exit the shower right before you slip into bed. And lastly, let's talk about technology use. It's too easy to get caught up in screens, especially before bed, but blue light from our phones, tablets and computers can disrupt our circadian rhythm and interfere with our sleep. So try to limit screen time at least an hour before bedtime and consider using blue light filters on your devices in the evening. Apple has a setting where you can actually turn the screen red and you can set it to do so at a certain time each night. By now you might be wondering how to start implementing these changes. Here's a few actionable steps to help you get started. Number one Set a consistent sleep schedule. Cannot emphasize this enough. Go to bed and wake up at the same time or close to the same time every single day, even on weekends. Get morning sunlight. Spend at least 10 to 15 minutes outside each morning and remember the first 45 minutes of the day. What we call first light has no UVA or UVB rays, just healthy blue light from the sun, not the kind of blue light that comes from your screen. And you can also generate vitamin D3. If you can't get outside because of the weather or the temperature, then just get near a window, gaze onto the horizon and soak up a little bit of that natural light. Number three Eat meals at regular intervals. Stick to as consistent of an eating schedule as you possibly can and stop eating two hours before bedtime. Number four Exercise regularly. Find a time that works for you and make it a daily habit. 5. Create a relaxing evening routine. One of the things we found from my little sleep study that we did with thousands of folks was that people do not have a sleep routine. They have poor sleep hygiene. I don't mean they go to bed dirty, I mean their hygiene with how they prepare to go to bed is something that they actually don't give a lot of attention to. We give a lot of attention very often to our workout routine, our routine to get our kids to school, our routine for our jobs, for careers. But we don't have a sleep routine. We don't have a way to unwind with calming activities and limit screen time before bed. Remember, the goal is to create a lifestyle that aligns with your natural rhythm. It's all about making small, sustainable changes that can have a big impact on your health and well being. You have the power to transform your life by simply turning into your body's natural clock. Thank you for joining us today. I hope that you found these tips healthy at the Ultimate Human we're trying to unlock the power of circadian rhythms and I do hope that you enjoyed this episode. Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review and share it with your friends. And until next time, remember, it's just science.
