It's set to become one of this year's biggest health trends. Are you ready to become a circadianista?
Amongst all the New Year stories and predictions in the world of health and wellness, talk of our circadian system is everywhere.
To name just a few; Vogue followed a journalist’s efforts to reset their body clock in a week, The New York Times reminded us how consistent sleep/wake times are an indicator of long-term health and The Sunday Times announced that this could well be a breakthrough year for the body clock.
It’s been a long time coming. Despite being hardwired into our evolutionary story, the penny is only starting to drop on how much sway the body clock has on the quality of our lives – our mood, sleep, work, relationships, even how long we live for.
“Your body clock provides a time structure for optimising your biology and your health. Without it, everything suffers,” says Russell Foster, Professor of Circadian Neuroscience at Oxford University, an ainslie + ainslie advisor and one of the leading figures in the emergence of circadian science.
Life optimisers like neuroscientist Andrew Huberman and biohacker Bryan Johnson, have helped to shine some light (ideally morning sunshine) on how good circadian practice, from when we eat to when we exercise, can be linked to performance gains in almost every trackable area.
How It Works + Why It Matters
“The body is like an orchestra,” Foster explains. “If each instrument plays out of time, you get a cacophony, not a symphony.”
Each day, in anticipation of waking, your body ramps up cortisol levels, raises your heart rate and your metabolism shifts gears.
At night, your core temperature drops and your system moves into repair and consolidation mode – processing information, clearing toxins, and storing memories.
All of this is coordinated by a “master clock” in the brain, which communicates with cells throughout your body to keep everything running on schedule.
Light: The Conductor of Your Clock
The light-dark cycle is the most critical environmental cue for maintaining a stable circadian rhythm. “Light exposure sets the master clock in our brain,” says Foster.
This clock, called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), located in the hypothalamus, is what keeps your internal timing in sync with the external world. Without it, everything from hormone production to digestion can fall out of step.
How Modern Life Gets In The Way
Modern life often overrides this natural cycle. Artificial lighting, irregular bedtimes, late work shifts, boxset bingeing are just a few of the ways we disrupt the signals our brain relies on to keep time.
“We’re essentially flatlining the clock,” says Foster. And the consequences are more serious than just feeling tired.
Even just irregular schedules and poor light exposure can lead to more immediate performance drops – mood swings, reduced productivity, weakened immune function and brain fog.
It’s why NIGHT + DAY POWDER were developed – a supplement system formulated to work alongside the body’s rhythm. What the body needs, when it needs it most.
How To Get Back In Sync
From the moment you get up, you have opportunities to maximise your circadian performance:
Upgrade Your Alarm
Dawn simulators like the Lumie Bodyclock Spark 100 can help regulate your circadian system by enabling consistent wake times without the jolt of a phone alarm.
Seek Out Sunlight
Some early natural sunlight (let’s just call it daylight in the UK), ideally for a 10-15 minute spell as soon after waking as possible, helps suppress melatonin sleepiness and boosts cortisol levels to help you sharpen up for the day ahead.
Watch For Disruptors
One critical area affected by circadian health is, of course, sleep. “Sleep defines our ability to function during the day,” Caffeine, blue light at night, what we eat and when all play a part in sleep quality.
Consistency Counts
Going to bed and waking up around the same time every day not only syncs your circadian clock but research links this regularity to better long-term health outcomes.
Create a Wind-down Routine
Finding a repeatable bedtime routine has been shown to reduce stress, regulate hormones and prepare the mind and body for better quality sleep.
Listen To Your Body
Don’t chase a one-size-fits-all model for sleep and productivity, says Foster, because there isn’t one. Experiment to find out what works for you.
It's All About The Clock
ainslie + ainslie performance powders have been developed by human performance specialists to work with our circadian systems.
Each is designed for its own physiological task, while working together as a 24/7 system.
With NIGHT POWDER, the team looked at how nighttime performance could be optimised across the board, configuring an evening routine to support relaxation, repair and reduce fatigue on waking.
DAY POWDER is formulated to prepare the body for work – physical and mental. Its ingredients support energy production, focus, immunity and to help protect cells under stress.
Circadian health isn’t just about better sleep, but performance. From how you think and feel to how you recover and perform, your body clock plays a critical role.
By consistently syncing your habits with your body’s natural rhythms, you’re unlocking one of your most powerful performance tools.
Watch Professor Russell Foster interviewed in the ainslie + ainslie Performance People podcast:
