BY ALICE OGLETHORPE ILLUSTRATIONS PENELOPE DULLAGHAN
BETTER HEALTH
130 | December 2019
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Ever notice how you feel productive, sleepy, and
hungry around the same times every day? That’s your
circadian rhythm (the body’s internal clock) at work.
Understanding your natural sleep and wake cycles
will help you get in sync to function at your best.
A main factor that helps regulate your circadian rhythm is
exposure to light, which sets in motion the production of
hormones that impact your sleep-wake cycle. Exposing yourself to daylight first thing
in the morning helps lower levels of melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep.
9 a.m.
Make big
decisions
One of the best
times to weigh the
risks and rewards of
a situation is soon
after you wake up.
This is when levels
of the hormone
cortisol, which makes
you feel alert, are
high and the sleep
hormone melatonin
are low. As the day
goes on, fatigue can
cloud your decision-
making ability, says
Satchin Panda,
Ph.D., author of The
Circadian Code
and a professor
at Salk Institute for
6 a.m. to 7 a.m. Biological Studies.
WAlk your dog
(or yourself)
10 a.m.
study for a
presentation
10:30 a.m.
HAVe your
first coffee
Those high cortisol
levels are great for
feeling energized but
bad for long-term
memories. If you
need to remember
something (a
speech, info for a
test), it’s better to
study after cortisol
dips, which is closer
to midmorning.
In the hour or two
after you wake
up, you’re already
alert thanks to the
daylight and lower
levels of melatonin.
So instead of having
coffee first thing,
wait until now, when
your energy starts
to dip a bit and
caffeine can give
you a boost. Swap
your early morning
coffee for water—
it helps prevent
dehydration, which
can make you tired.
