11 Tips to Optimize Your Circadian Rhythm

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6 Morning Routines for Better Sleep  |  5 Evening Routines for Better Sleep

A good night’s sleep actually starts in the morning.

Sleep is built upon our circadian rhythm, the 24-hour cycle that is influenced by the timing of sunrise and sunset. The human body functions best when it’s aligned with this timing, which requires consistent daily habits.

I encourage patients of all ages to maintain regular bedtimes and to develop morning and before-bed routines that support better sleep. The brain’s pineal gland, also known as the body’s timekeeper, rewards these routines. It releases melatonin — the hormone that helps govern the timing of sleep onset as well as sleep depth and quality — when night falls.

The pineal gland also regulates metabolism, detoxification, and the rhythms of the endocrine system. One example is how our stress hormones, such as cortisol, are released in varying amounts throughout the day. These fluctuations help determine our degree of focus, energy, and productivity.

Because routines are so helpful for sleep, and sleep is the linchpin of mental health, following a regular schedule can also improve our moods. Still, sleep is not our only source of support.

Most people who have occasional anxiety are actually reacting to stress. Keeping good, consistent, even slightly dull routines can spare us from having to think so much about everything we do. This can relieve some pressure on our minds.

The bedrock of a sleep-supportive daily routine is a consistent bedtime and wake-up time that you can maintain with relative ease. Aim for seven to nine hours each night — and consider the following tips too.

6 Morning Routines for Better Sleep

1. Wake up on time. Rise at the same time — or close to it — every day. This is crucial to setting your circadian rhythm. Use an alarm if you must, but if you can, awaken with the light, either the natural sunrise or a dawn simulator. Sleeping in, even for an extra hour, can push back the timing of your melatonin release that night.
2. Make your bed. A National Sleep Foundation poll shows that making your bed each morning improves the chances of getting a good night’s sleep by nearly 20 percent.
3. Get outside for some sun. Humans evolved to be attuned to light and dark cycles, so try to bathe yourself in bright light every morning, preferably within an hour or two of waking. This helps regulate your melatonin cycle, improving your chances of feeling sleepy at the right time of night. (Learn more at “The Powerful — and Surprising — Health Benefits of Melatonin.”) If you can’t get sun first thing in the morning, or when it rises late in winter, use a bright-light device with plenty of blue-spectrum light.
4. Eat breakfast. Eating most of our calories early in the day is in alignment with both nature and our cortisol levels. Make breakfast and lunch your biggest meals. If you’re a caffeine drinker, sip your coffee or tea in the morning; caffeine is like a plant version of adrenaline. (For more on caffeine, see “How Does Caffeine Really Affect Your Health?“)
5. Exercise early. Work out in the morning, when energy levels are naturally at their highest. If you can’t fit in exercise early, afternoon is fine, but try to finish three hours before bed. This will suppress stress hormones and keep your body cool at bedtime. (Morning is often the best time for strenuous mental work, as well.)
6. Take a breathing break. Spend a few moments focusing on your breath. Awareness of breathing can coax your autonomic nervous system to stand down and turn off your stress response. This is a great way to start your day.

5 Evening Routines for Better Sleep

1. Stop work and turn off devices. Finish work-related tasks and switch off electronics, including your phone, at least one hour before bed but preferably two. This allows your mind to wind down and protects your eyes from the stimulating effects of the blue light that digital devices emit. Blue light mimics morning sun and triggers wakefulness.
2. Stay away from the bedroom. Avoiding time in the bedroom during the hour before bed helps create a stronger association between that room and sleep. Try to maintain that room as a sanctuary reserved only for sleep and sex. Keep it simple, uncluttered, and free of televisions, other electronics, and anything work-related.
3. Dim the lights. During the final hours of the day, keep the lights as low as possible. You might even use candles. Darkness before bed can do amazing things for your natural sleepiness.
4. Practice at least one soothing activity. Read a book, do some journaling or coloring, listen to quiet music, or spend time in prayer or meditation. Take warm baths or showers at least one hour before bed so that your body is in the cooling-down phase at bedtime.
5. Be on time but flexible. Go to bed when you’re sleepy — but not before. It’s OK if that occasionally means you’re retiring a bit later than usual. You want to associate bedtime with sleeping, not with lying there restlessly trying to get to sleep.