Your Circadian Rhythm: The Master Wellness Clock
How light, food, and movement timing shape your sleep, mood, and metabolism.
Every cell in your body keeps time. Aligning your day with your circadian rhythm (your body's roughly 24-hour internal clock) improves sleep, energy, and long-term metabolic health.
Morning light
10 minutes of outdoor light within an hour of waking sets up your whole day — it locks in the rhythm and improves nighttime melatonin release.
Eat with the sun
Make breakfast and lunch larger and dinner lighter — eating late blunts insulin sensitivity and disrupts sleep architecture.
Move during the day
Daytime movement deepens your sleep at night. Evening exercise is fine, as long as it finishes at least 2 hours before bed.
Protect the dark
The body needs both bright days and dark nights. Dimming the evening is as important as brightening the morning.
Sources & references
Background reading
- The Nutrition Source — Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
- Office of Dietary Supplements — Fact Sheets — US NIH