ORLANDO, Fla. – Your circadian rhythm is your body’s 24-hour master clock — controlling sleep, hormones, digestion, and even your temperature. But the CDC says a third of adults, a third of children and a stunning 77 percent of teens aren’t getting enough sleep! Now a trend called sleep syncing claims to get you back on track, but does it actually work?
It’s called your circadian rhythm and the single biggest thing setting it?
“Our major circadian rhythm is more or less set around light,” said Akinyemi Ajayi, MD, President & Medical Director of Children’s Lung, Asthma and Sleep Specialists.
Apps and websites are pushing a trend called “sleep syncing,” matching your sleep schedule to your body’s natural circadian rhythm for better health. But when you strip away the buzzword the science is surprisingly simple.
“The change in time, the change in nights, longer days, shorter days, things like that might have a slight impact on tweaking our rhythms, but typically we don’t,” explained Ajayi.
There are simple ways to reset your circadian rhythm.
The CDC recommends 10 to 15 minutes of morning sunlight to signal your brain it’s time to wake up. The American College of Sports Medicine warns that intense workouts within two hours of bed can raise your heart rate and push your sleep window later. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine says to avoid screens one to two hours before bed, because blue light can delay your internal clock by up to 90 minutes. Cleveland Clinic advises keeping your bedroom cool — 60 to 67 degrees — to help your body power down. And experts say keeping a consistent wake time, even on weekends, is one of the most effective ways to lock your rhythm in place.
Need to get up before the sun rises? Sleep specialists recommend using “anchor light” — turning on bright lights as soon as you wake up.
“I know it sounds odd, but it actually trains their brain to actually pull their bedtime or the next night’s bedtime to become slightly earlier,” said Ajayi.
And if you feel rested, you’re already synced.
Apps like rise, time shifter and sleep cycle may help. Experts add that consistency is still the biggest factor. Go to bed at the same time, get morning sunlight. And even small amounts of light — like streetlights or a phone LED can reduce melatonin. Sleep experts recommend blackout curtains or a sleep mask if you’re light-sensitive the small habits you set today can reset your rhythm for tomorrow.
Contributors to this news report include: Marcy Wilder, Producer; Bob Walko, Editor.