How to Fix Circadian Rhythm

How to Reset Circadian Rhythm: Getting Better Sleep Naturally

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Ever feel like your sleep schedule is completely out of whack? Maybe you struggle to fall asleep at night, hit snooze too many times in the morning, or find yourself drained and foggy throughout the day. If so, your circadian rhythm might be out of sync.

Your circadian rhythm is your body’s internal clock, regulating when you feel awake and when you feel sleepy. It controls more than just your sleep—it influences your hormones, metabolism, and even mood. When this clock is misaligned, it can lead to insomnia, daytime fatigue, irritability, brain fog, and even long-term health issues like weakened immunity and heart problems.

The good news? You can reset your circadian rhythm and restore balance to your sleep cycle. Simple lifestyle changes—like light therapy, eating at the right times, and sleeping on a supportive, pressure-relieving mattress—can help you reclaim quality rest and feel refreshed every morning.

In this guide, we’ll break down exactly how to reset your circadian rhythm by practicing good sleep hygiene and why your mattress plays a bigger role in your circadian clock than you might think. Let’s get started.

1. Understanding Your Circadian Rhythm

Your circadian rhythm is your body’s natural 24-hour cycle that regulates when you feel awake and when you feel sleepy. Think of it as your built-in timekeeper, controlling not just your sleep-wake schedule but also hormone production, digestion, body temperature, and even mood. When it’s properly aligned, you fall asleep easily, wake up refreshed, and feel energized throughout the day. When it’s disrupted, everything feels off—leading to sluggish mornings, restless nights, and a host of other health issues.

How Your Circadian Rhythm Works

At the core of your circadian rhythm is a small region in the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). This tiny but powerful structure responds to external cues—especially light and darkness—to keep your body on track.

• Morning Light = Wakefulness: When natural sunlight hits your eyes in the morning, your SCN signals your body to release cortisol, a hormone that helps you feel alert and ready for the day. At the same time, it suppresses melatonin, the hormone that makes you feel sleepy.

• Evening Darkness = Sleepiness: As the sun sets, your SCN triggers melatonin production, helping you wind down and prepare for rest. This cycle repeats daily, keeping your sleep-wake schedule consistent.

What Disrupts Your Circadian Rhythm?

While your body wants to stay on a regular cycle, modern life makes that difficult. Several factors can throw off your circadian rhythm, including:

• Irregular Sleep Schedules: If you go to bed and wake up at different times every day, your internal clock struggles to maintain consistency.

• Artificial Light at Night: Blue light from screens (phones, TVs, computers) tricks your brain into thinking it’s still daytime, delaying melatonin production and making it harder to fall asleep.

• Shift Work & Jet Lag: Working late hours or traveling across time zones forces your body to adjust to an unnatural schedule, leading to sleep disturbances.

• Poor Sleep Environment: A mattress that doesn’t properly support your body can lead to discomfort, tossing and turning, and fragmented sleep, making it harder for your circadian rhythm to stabilize.

• Caffeine & Late-Night Eating: Stimulants like coffee or heavy meals close to bedtime can interfere with your body's natural wind-down process.

Why Your Circadian Rhythm Matters

When your circadian rhythm is well-regulated, you experience deep, restorative sleep, improved focus, balanced energy levels, and even a stronger immune system. On the flip side, a disrupted circadian rhythm can lead to chronic sleep deprivation, mood swings, weight gain, and an increased risk of long-term health conditions like heart disease and diabetes.

The first step to fixing your circadian rhythm is recognizing what’s throwing it off. Next, you’ll need to identify your specific sleep disruptors and make simple adjustments—starting with your sleep environment and the mattress you sleep on.

2. Identifying the Cause of Your Disruption

If your circadian rhythm is out of sync, the first step to fixing it is understanding what’s throwing it off. Everyone’s sleep struggles are different, but most disruptions come down to lifestyle habits, environmental factors, or underlying health issues. Let’s break down some of the most common culprits.

Assessing Your Sleep Habits

Your daily routines and bedtime habits play a huge role in regulating your circadian rhythm. Ask yourself the following:

• Do I go to bed and wake up at the same time every day? Inconsistent sleep schedules confuse your internal clock, making it harder to fall asleep and wake up naturally.

• Do I spend time on screens before bed? The blue light from phones, TVs, and computers can delay melatonin production, keeping you wired when you should be winding down.

• Do I wake up feeling rested? If you’re still groggy after a full night’s sleep, your body might not be getting the deep, restorative rest it needs.

• Is my mattress comfortable and supportive? If you’re tossing and turning all night, your sleep quality suffers. A pressure-relieving, temperature-regulating mattress—like those from Essentia—can make a huge difference in resetting your circadian rhythm.

Considering Lifestyle Factors

Certain lifestyle choices can also interfere with your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. These include:

• Caffeine & Stimulants: Drinking coffee, tea, or energy drinks too late in the day can keep your nervous system active when it should be winding down. Try cutting off caffeine at least six hours before bed.

• Diet & Meal Timing: Eating heavy meals or snacking late at night can disrupt digestion, making it harder to sleep comfortably. Your body needs a consistent eating schedule to support metabolic rhythms.

• Stress & Anxiety: Chronic stress increases cortisol levels, which can suppress melatonin and lead to restless nights. If your mind races at bedtime, incorporating relaxation techniques (like deep breathing, meditation, or a warm bath) can help.

• Exercise Timing: Regular exercise helps regulate sleep, but working out too close to bedtime can raise your heart rate and body temperature, making it harder to drift off.

Checking for Medical Conditions

If you’ve adjusted your sleep habits and lifestyle but still struggle to get quality rest, there may be an underlying circadian rhythm sleep disorder or health issue affecting your circadian rhythm. Common conditions include:

• Insomnia: Difficulty falling or staying asleep, often linked to stress, anxiety, or an irregular schedule.

• Sleep Apnea: A condition where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep, leading to frequent nighttime awakenings and daytime fatigue.

• Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS): A neurological condition that causes an uncontrollable urge to move your legs, especially at night.

• Hormonal Imbalances: Disruptions in cortisol, melatonin, or thyroid hormones can throw off sleep cycles.

If you suspect a medical condition is impacting your sleep, it’s worth speaking with a healthcare professional for further evaluation.

Why Identifying the Cause Matters

Understanding what’s disrupting your circadian rhythm is the key to fixing it. Once you pinpoint the problem—whether it’s screen time, diet, stress, or an unsupportive mattress—you can start making changes that will help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake up feeling refreshed.

Now that you know what might be causing the issue, let’s dive into practical steps to reset your circadian rhythm—starting with setting a consistent sleep schedule and optimizing your sleep environment.

3. Steps to Reset Your Circadian Rhythm

Now that you’ve identified what’s throwing off your circadian rhythm, it’s time to reset your body’s internal clock. The good news? You don’t need drastic changes—just a few simple adjustments to your sleep schedule, light exposure, and daily habits can get your rhythm back on track. Here’s how.

A. Stick to a Consistent Sleep Schedule

Your body thrives on routine. The more consistent your sleep-wake times are, the easier it will be for your circadian rhythm to stabilize.

• Set a fixed bedtime and wake-up time. Aim for at least seven to nine hours of sleep per night, even on weekends.

• Adjust gradually if needed. If your schedule is off, shift it by 15-30 minutes each night until you reach your ideal bedtime.

• Avoid long naps. If you need a nap, keep it under 30 minutes and avoid sleeping late in the afternoon.

B. Optimize Your Light Exposure

Light is the most powerful signal for regulating your circadian rhythm. The right balance of natural and artificial light can help reinforce a healthy sleep cycle.

• Get morning sunlight. Within an hour of waking up, spend at least 10-30 minutes in natural daylight—this helps shut down melatonin production and signals wakefulness.

• Limit blue light at night. Phones, TVs, and computers emit blue light that tricks your brain into staying awake. Try:

• Using blue light blocking glasses in the evening.

• Switching to warm, dim lighting after sunset.

• Enabling night mode on devices.

• Sleep in total darkness. Use blackout curtains or a sleep mask to block out light that can interfere with melatonin production.

C. Adjust Your Diet and Lifestyle

What you eat and drink—and when—can have a huge impact on your sleep.

• Eat meals at consistent times. Your metabolism follows a circadian rhythm too. Keeping regular mealtimes helps reinforce your sleep-wake cycle.

• Avoid caffeine late in the day. Caffeine can stay in your system for up to 6 hours, so try to stop consuming it by mid-afternoon.

• Limit alcohol and heavy meals before bed. Both can disrupt sleep by causing restlessness, dehydration, or digestive discomfort.

D. Manage Stress and Relax Before Bed

If you struggle to fall asleep, your mind might be too active at night. A wind-down routine can help signal to your body that it’s time for rest.

• Try a nighttime routine. Reading, meditating, or taking a warm bath can help relax your nervous system.

• Reduce screen time. Avoid checking emails or scrolling social media right before bed—it can increase stress and alertness.

• Practice deep breathing or mindfulness. Relaxation techniques, like progressive muscle relaxation or guided meditation, can help you unwind.

E. Exercise at the Right Time

Physical activity helps regulate your circadian rhythm, but timing matters.

• Morning or afternoon workouts can help reinforce wakefulness and keep your body on schedule.

• Late-night exercise can delay sleep by raising your body temperature and increasing adrenaline. If you work out at night, try to finish at least 2-3 hours before bed.

How Your Mattress Helps Reset Your Circadian Rhythm

Even with the perfect schedule, poor sleep quality can sabotage your circadian rhythm. If your mattress isn’t providing proper spinal support, pressure relief, or temperature regulation, you may experience discomfort, night wakings, and restlessness—all of which keep your internal clock off balance.

Essentia’s organic, non-toxic mattresses are designed to optimize sleep quality by:

• Reducing pressure points, so you don’t wake up tossing and turning.

• Regulating temperature, preventing overheating that disrupts deep sleep.

• Supporting spinal alignment, helping your body fully relax into restorative rest.

By pairing a healthy sleep routine with a mattress that supports deep, uninterrupted sleep, you can reset your circadian rhythm naturally—and wake up feeling refreshed every morning.

Next, let’s look at special circumstances that might require extra strategies, like shift work, jet lag, or underlying sleep disorders.

4. Additional Strategies for Special Circumstances

For some people, resetting their circadian rhythm is as simple as sticking to a consistent sleep schedule and optimizing their environment. But if you work night shifts, travel across time zones, or struggle with a sleep disorder, you may need extra strategies to keep your internal clock in sync. Here’s how to handle sleep disruptions in special circumstances.

Shift Workers: Managing Sleep When Working Nights

Working nights or rotating shifts is one of the biggest challenges for maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm. Since your body naturally wants to be awake during the day and asleep at night, shift work can lead to chronic sleep deprivation, fatigue, and even long-term health risks.

To improve sleep quality while working non-traditional hours:

• Stick to a steady schedule. Keep your sleep and wake times as consistent as possible, even on your days off.

• Block out daylight. Exposure to morning sunlight after a night shift can confuse your internal clock. Use blackout curtains, a sleep mask, and earplugs to create a dark, quiet sleep environment.

• Use light strategically. Bright artificial light during your shift can help signal wakefulness, while dim lighting before bed can encourage sleep.

• Nap before your shift. A 90-minute nap before work can help reduce sleep debt and improve alertness.

• Choose the right mattress. A mattress that reduces pressure points and motion transfer—like Essentia’s organic mattresses—can help you fall into deep sleep faster, even during the day.

Jet Lag: Adjusting to New Time Zones

Traveling across multiple time zones can throw your circadian rhythm off, leaving you exhausted, groggy, and unable to sleep at the right times. The further you travel, the longer it takes for your body to adjust—but there are ways to speed up the process.

• Start adjusting before you leave. A few days before your trip, gradually shift your sleep and meal times toward your destination’s time zone.

• Expose yourself to natural light. If you’re traveling east, get morning sunlight to help your body adjust to an earlier schedule. If heading west, seek afternoon sunlight to push your bedtime later.

• Avoid heavy meals and caffeine close to bedtime. Your digestive system is also tied to your circadian rhythm, so eating at the right times can help your body adjust.

• Take short naps if needed. A 20-30 minute nap can help reduce fatigue, but avoid long naps that make it harder to sleep at night.

• Sleep on a supportive mattress. If jet lag is already making it hard to sleep, an uncomfortable mattress only makes it worse. A pressure-relieving, temperature-regulating mattress can help you fall asleep faster in an unfamiliar environment.

Sleep Disorders: When to See a Doctor

If you’ve made all the right changes—consistent sleep schedule, reduced screen time, optimized your mattress—and you’re still struggling with sleep, an underlying sleep disorder might be the cause.

Common sleep disorders that affect circadian rhythms include:

• Insomnia: Trouble falling or staying asleep, often linked to stress, anxiety, or poor sleep habits.

• Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder (DSPD): A condition where your body naturally wants to fall asleep much later than normal, making it hard to wake up in the morning.

• Sleep Apnea: A disorder where breathing repeatedly stops during sleep, causing frequent awakenings and poor sleep quality.

• Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS): A neurological condition that causes discomfort and an uncontrollable urge to move your legs, especially at night.

If you suspect a circadian rhythm disorder, speak with a healthcare professional. They may recommend a sleep study, cognitive behavioral therapy, or lifestyle changes to help regulate your sleep cycle.

Final Thoughts: Prioritize Sleep for a Healthy Circadian Rhythm

No matter what’s disrupting your circadian rhythm—whether it’s irregular work hours, travel, or an underlying condition—there are steps you can take to regain control of your sleep cycle.

By:
✔ Sticking to a consistent schedule
✔ Managing light exposure
✔ Making smart diet and lifestyle choices
✔ Creating a comfortable sleep environment

…you can reset your circadian rhythm and enjoy deep, restorative sleep every night.

But here’s the thing—the quality of your mattress plays a huge role in your sleep health. If your bed isn’t supporting your body properly, it doesn’t matter how much you optimize your routine—you’ll still wake up restless and groggy. That’s where Essentia comes in.

Essentia’s organic, non-toxic mattresses are designed to work with your circadian rhythm, not against it. With pressure-relieving support, unmatched breathability, and toxin-free materials, Essentia helps you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake up feeling truly refreshed. 

A landmark double-blind study with professional athletes confirmed that sleeping on an Essentia mattress can extend time spent in REM and Deep Sleep cycles by 20% to 60%, proving their efficacy in enhancing sleep quality. If you’re serious about fixing your sleep, it’s time to invest in a mattress that supports deep, uninterrupted rest—naturally. (Don't discount the importance of clinical sleep medicine, and make sure you see a doctor if you believe you may have an advanced sleep phase disorder).

Ready to experience the best sleep of your life? Discover the perfect mattress for your sleep health at Essentia.