How to Reset Your Body Clock

Many of us choose to nap to ‘catch up’ on lost sleep, however, this isn’t the most effective solution. Our bodies prefer to follow a consistent sleep schedule instead.

Having said that, napping has been shown to have its benefits, including improved mood and increased alertness⁵. However, there’s a fine line: you need to keep your naps short. Manage them so they’re only 15-30 minutes, as long or frequent naps can interfere with sleep at night.

Screens, e.g. your laptop or phone, should be avoided at night. As mentioned, your body clock is regulated by light, and blue light can trick the body into thinking it’s daytime and suppresses melatonin production⁶. This can not only make it harder to fall asleep, but stay asleep as well.

Similarly, trying to fall asleep with the lights on can be much more difficult. Instead, try sleeping in the pitch black, or blocking out as much light as possible. Dim the lights at least an hour before bed to get the body ready for sleep.

Creating a healthy sleep environment encompasses many factors, such as:

• Blocking out noise
• Getting the temperature right (not too hot – 15.6 to 19.4 degrees celsius is best for the most comfortable sleep⁷)
• Reducing caffeine intake, particularly after lunch (it stays in your system for around 8 hours)
• Ensuring your mattress is comfortable
• Getting breathable sheets that don’t make you overheat

As well as helping avoid daytime sleepiness, moderate-to-vigorous exercise can increase sleep quality for adults and reduce the time it takes to fall asleep⁸. This decreases the amount of time people lie awake in bed at night, likely tossing and turning.

However, avoid vigorous workouts at least one hour before bed, as these can raise your core temperature, making it harder to fall asleep and reduce total sleep time. Instead, if you want to exercise before sleep, pick something lower-intensity, such as yoga. This can also be a useful relaxation technique.

If you want to reset your body clock, you need to stick to a regular sleep schedule, which usually means setting alarms. Try to avoid hitting the snooze button! After 2-3 weeks, your body should naturally start to wake up at the desired time.

Switch off the electronics and opt for different relaxation techniques instead. This could be reading a book, meditating or journaling, for example. These can help you wind your body down, reset your body clock to the right time, while giving you more energy in the day.

Instead of stressing about sleep, and lying there tossing and turning, know when to get up and do something else. It can take time to get your body clock back to normal, so be patient. Reading a book or listening to calming music can help you unwind.

Slow, gradual changes are usually the best for having a long-term impact. So, don’t try and do everything at once. Take small steps, but remain consistent and don’t give up.

For example, if your body clock is two hours behind, set your bedtime and wake time 15 minutes earlier each week. After four weeks, you should have a more regular sleep schedule. Be patient – these things take time.

You might think that alcohol puts you into a deep sleep, but in fact, it decreases overall sleep quality⁹. So, while sleep onset might be quicker, it will likely be shorter in length and more disrupted. In short: alcohol and sleep don’t mix, therefore cut back on the booze if you’re trying to regulate sleep.

Remember, it’s not all about how quickly it takes to fall asleep, but also the quality. After a poor quality sleep, it’s likely you won’t wake up feeling refreshed and energised, even if you fell asleep quickly. Avoid disruptions by not drinking alcohol at least 4 hours before bed.

If you want to restore natural sleep cycles, spending more time outside can be a good idea. This is because natural light cycles aid the body’s circadian rhythm. So, whether you like walking, cycling, or camping – enjoying the great outdoors during the day can help you sleep at night.