Doctor Shares Two Simple Strategies You Can Use To Fix Your Body Clock After Christmas Break

Feeling a bit groggy after that hectic Christmas/New Years period?

Well, we all know how important a good night's sleep is and a doctor has shared a couple of tips that might help us kip a bit better.

Dr. Karthik Ramanan says that sunlight and temperature massively affect our circadian rhythm (body clock) and has explained how to get a better sleep routine in a recent YouTube video. Take a look below:

He explained: "I want you to understand the importance of melatonin and cortisol.

"You can think of melatonin as your 'stay asleep' hormone, and cortisol is one of your alertness and stress hormones.

"Now if you're thinking melatonin, stay asleep, I want that to be high at night and drop in the morning... And cortisol, stress, alertness, I want that to be higher during the day and drop toward the evening. You'd be right!

"Unfortunately we've created an environment where that doesn't always hold true."

The medic then gave us two strategies that might help with light exposure and getting a better rest.

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He said: "To fix your light exposure, spend some time outside as soon as you wake up. Take in the sun. And spend more time outside during the day. Go for a quick 5 minute walk during your lunch break. Sit near a window. And I know that's not always possible. I get it."

For those living in Britain, where we it feels like we get about two weeks of sun a year, he added: "Power tip: going for a walk, jog, or run outside in the morning will further enhance this circadian resetting effect."

Next up, the doctor wants us to fix our food schedule: "We also have daily rhythms in our metabolism and gut microbiome.

"We are constantly in a fed state in our society these days. That is to say, it's rare that we're not actively digesting food during our awake hours.

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"Intermittent fasting is a simple way to take in the same caloric value of food while still resetting the circadian clock, feeling more energised during the day, sleeping better at night, and even losing weight too.

"An easy way to start is to ensure your first meal of the day and your last meal of the day fall within a 12 hour window. As you move forward, you can try tightening that window.

"Also, don't eat within 3 hours of bed time."

Although this all might sound like a tough ask, the doctor offers some words of encouragement and concludes: "I believe in your greatness."

Topics: Sleep

Anish Vij

Anish is a GG2 Young Journalist of the Year 2024 finalist. He has a Master's degree in Multimedia Journalism and a Bachelor's degree in International Business Management. Apart from that, his life revolves around the ‘Four F’s’ - family, friends, football and food. Email: [email protected]

@Anish_Vij