Flowing with Our Rhythm for Sleep

?? It’s so important for us to try to go to sleep at the same time and wake up at the same time every day. Our circadian rhythm is seeking that regularity. It’s an internal clock (with many sub-clocks) that runs to keep us flowing with rhythm. Our body seeks to flow with that rhythm for sleep and many other daily activities.

??And, we are tuned each day by our exposure to light. Light coming into our eyes in the morning tells our brain that it is time to be awake. And, that light helps to keep our internal clocks set to align with day and night, to align with Earth's patterns. We go outside in the morning light (as our bodies have been designed to do through experience over thousands of years), and that light signals the start of the day, the beginning of the clock of awake hours. Our bodies know from that when bedtime should be.

??Darkness helps assure our body that it is right on track. As it gets dark and we exist in darkness (something that in hundreds of years past was unavoidable), sleepiness sets in naturally and intentionally. And, there is a ‘sweet spot’ timeframe during which our body is aiming at for our body and mind to go to sleep.

?? But, when we try to alter that by going to sleep or waking up at another time, such goes against what our body expects. And our body is determined to follow its clock. It has learned over thousands of years that it knows best. And only in more recent years have we even had the opportunity to try to go against it so much. Understandably, we are likely to have insomnia at night and be tired in the morning.

?? So, back to the beginning…we should do our best to match the rhythm our body is trying to maintain by going to sleep and waking up when it is tuned to do so. Thousands of years of evolution have tuned us to go to sleep when it gets dark and to wake up when there is light. And even if we should need to or want to alter that pattern, if we can maintain regularity from day to day (going to sleep and waking up at the same time each day), we can have the opportunity to be truly well rested.

I hope you will sleep well. ??