You go to sleep, you wake up, and then you repeat that cycle. Over time you might catch yourself waking up too late or feeling tired when you do wake up. Have you taken a look at your biological clock and what it can do for your daily life?
Your body has two internal systems that interact with each other to regulate when we sleep and when we are awake. It’s called your biological clock. These systems are the sleep/wake homeostasis, which monitors our need for sleep based on how long we’ve been awake and the circadian system, which regulates the cycling of when we sleep and wake, every 24 hours.
These two systems usually counterbalance each other. When it’s time to wake up your body it triggers itself to wake up and when it’s time to sleep your body triggers through hormones to slowly wind down. Typically, your body functions to how the sun rises and sets. Homeostasis and the circadian system work independently but sometimes they can be misaligned.
During jet lag or shift work, for instance, we might experience the signal to fall asleep and when we sleep a controversial desire to be awake.
So what can we do to fix our biological clock?
Focus on your habits
Might be a bit of an obvious statement but your daily routine greatly impacts the body’s regulation of the circadian and homeostasis process. If you are waking up tired it might not be related to this but if you are lacking in the cycle your body needs then this is something to consider. For example, if you are catching yourself going to sleep restless then there’s a good chance your body’s biological clock is off.
Start writing down and have a plan for sleep, you should be getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep daily and without a plan you are most likely sleeping inconsistently and you will start paying the consequences long-term for the goals you desire.
Consider your diet
Your diet is really important… Probably more important than anything else going on in your life. Food is fuel, sleep is recovery and your body is made to work. Those three pillars in life should always work in harmony for optimal success and if you are having a hard time sleeping, take a few minutes out of your day to pay attention to what you eat. Even further, what types of food you are eating. Try avoiding any caffeine, sugar or processed carbs before you sleep or else it may affect your sleeping habits.
Go for a Run
Along with your diet and daily habits, having at least 30 minutes a day of physical activity will help with your chronological clock. Having a regular workout routine helps your chronological clock set and reset itself for when you work out. Working out in the morning versus in the afternoon doesn’t matter as much as being consistent so your body can adjust. If you are experiencing jet lag, going for a run has proven to exhaust the body enough to trigger your body in telling itself that sleep and recovery are what’s to come.
Conclusion
Your body has two systems that take place, homeostasis and the circadian system which helps trigger your body through hormones to sleep and to wake up. If you have irregular sleep patterns it may be time to consider your diet, actual sleep schedule and to start incorporating a workout routine so the body can react to a consistent pattern. If you are looking to get some additional help, VitaDreamz has plenty of sleep aids that will help you short-term on resetting your chronological clock.
