Dave Hompes Circadian Rhythm - Amazon S34/... · Dave Hompes Circadian Rhythm Circadian ... I asked...
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Dave Hompes Circadian Rhythm Circadian, or daily, rhythm is one of the most overlooked factors in health. Every function in your body is tied to your daily metabolic pattern: appetite, digestion, energy, detoxification, hormones, waking, sleeping, growth, repair and more, are all tied with your relationship with the light and dark cycles of the planet. In some of the cases I have worked with, fixing circadian rhythm was the most important factor to address and my experiences match those of authorities such as Dr. Jack Kruse, a neurosurgeon who insists that circadian rhythm is as important, if not more so, than nutrition. Take Toddy, for example. Toddy is a fantastic guy. He is currently a professional soccer manager in Bulgaria, and was formerly a Premier League and international player. He was feeling tired and just not himself. We fixed up his diet, did a load of lab testing and found out his nutritional and hormonal imbalances. He took some targeted supplements and felt better to a degree. However, even though he was eating better and taking supplements, Toddy still felt tired in the morning. I asked him what time he was going to bed, and he said 1-2am. I cursed myself for not addressing this issue sooner, and recommended he gradually pulled forward his bedtime until he was retiring each night as close to 10:30pm as possible every night, including weekends. Toddy’s entire energy pattern changed very quickly and he felt on top of his game. Despite a wealth of research and scientific data, the western medical system continues to ignore the role of circadian rhythm in health and disease, and many patients prefer to seek a pill, potion or lotion, to fix symptoms that are being caused by circadian mismatches. This, of course, doesn’t work very well. Let’s make sure we get your circadian rhythm optimized as quickly as possible so you benefit from a healthy relationship between yourself, the Earth, the Sun and the Moon. About Your Circadian Rhythm The concept of circadian rhythm is simple, but the details are not. In simple terms, it’s all about how your physiology and metabolism synchronise with the 24-hour light and dark cycles of the Earth. When you look deeply into how these cycles affect your body, it becomes complex. At this stage, I’ll keep the discussion simple. In recent times, the scientific literature has shed increasing light (no pun intended) on the impact of circadian rhythms on health and disease. The fancy term used in the literature is chronobiology (“chrono” = time). Some of the
Transcript of 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.
