Sleep experts say people should honor their natural body clock rather than shame themselves for not being early risers, as long as their sleep pattern works for their employment and social life.
The circadian rhythm—the body’s internal 24-hour biological clock—regulates sleep timing, hormone release, body temperature, digestion, and immune activity. A small group of nerve cells in the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus controls this master clock, responding primarily to light and darkness. Morning light suppresses the sleep hormone melatonin and promotes alertness, while falling evening light levels allow melatonin to rise.
Individual clocks are partly predetermined by genetics but also determined by daily habits and environment. Some people run later (“night owls”) and others earlier (“morning larks”), known as chronotypes. With lifestyle tweaks, it is possible to shift circadian rhythm. Sleep experts recommend keeping a sleep diary and making gradual changes through bright natural light exposure soon after waking, reduced evening screen time, meal timing adjustments, and avoiding heavy late-evening meals or workouts.
However, sleep medicine experts emphasize there is no reason to force a shift if your natural schedule works. “As long as you are not experiencing problems, you should work with your natural body clock, not against it,” said Allie Hare, MD, consultant in sleep medicine and president of the British Sleep Society. “People all have different sleep chronotypes and in sleep medicine we encourage them to lean into their natural body clock whenever possible,” said Shelby Harris, PsyD, director of NY Sleep and Psychology, adding people should “ignore all the shaming out there that early birds are better.”
If sleep disruption interferes with lifestyle or health—such as getting a job requiring early starts or caring for children—that is when shifting may be necessary, and a sleep therapist or physician may help.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://us.headtopics.com/news/can-you-change-your-circadian-rhythm-and-should-you-78442092