Circadian Rhythm

Sunday Night

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I watched a movie and hit the hay around 11:30. Monday morning my alarm went off at 4am. I remember seeing “4:00” blaring on my phone. I think I thought I was in an air raid. I fumbled with my phone, turned the light-siren off, went back to sleep, and got up at 10am. Just enough time to get ready for work. That night, I didn’t watch TV. I read a book and went to bed at 10pm. I was up at 4am this morning.

Circadian Rhythm

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The term reminds me of cicadas chirping me to sleep. Its etymology, actually, refers to a daylight cycle.

Why is this Important?

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I used to need more than twelve hours of sleep(usually 13-15) to feel rested. Now, I’m better rested with six to eight.

Goals…

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If you have goals, or want to, some day, then this is nothing short of a life-changing revelation. To prove it, let’s do math.

5 Seasons a Year

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Let’s say you were like me and you were conscious around 12 hours per day. Now, getting up at 4am and calling it quits at 10pm means an 18 hour day. You’ve added 6 waking hours to your day.

6(hours) X 7(days) per week
= 42(hours) per week
42 X 52(weeks) in a year = 2,184(hours) per year
2,184/24(hours) in a day = 91(more days AWAKE per year)

That’s 3 more months per year. Thus, I give you the 5th season. Let’s call it Summer Part 2. Or not.

However, time spent awake is not necessarily time spent productively, right? Especially, if you’re sleepy because you got up at the unholy hour of 4 am.

Sleeping is a Skill

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It takes getting used to however, the amazing part, the part you can’t fully grasp until you’ve done it, is that you’re not sleepy all the time. Don’t take my word for it, I’m not a doctor. But Dr. John Bergman is.

How to Get Into Circadian Rhythm

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Start with 4 am and stay up during the day. This is the tough part. But it gets easier. Next, get into the habit of limiting stimulation two hours before bed. Sky-diving before bed is off limits. Once you’ve accomplished not sky-diving then put away all screens at 8pm. Try to be in bed by 10-10:30pm.

11pm to 1am is Magic

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This is, biologically speaking, the time that humans are hard-wired to benefit the most from sleeping. It is the healing time. This is the foundation of circadian rhythm, and why this schedule doesn’t work if you try to go to bed at 1am and get up at 7am.

Give it a Shot

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The first days are challenging but, not so much as you might think. Your body is full of surprises. It will recognize what’s going on. As a bonus to help yourself out, reading an actual book(seriously, no screens) and journaling help greatly. It’s like a hack. Whatever is bouncing around in your head gets let out. According to Dr. Bergman, 21 days max and you’re there. Personally, it took less than a week.