Alas, it’s back to school time and that means resetting our internal clocks to the rhythms required by society. Summer has been full of late nights and mornings spent sleeping in, and that means our biological clocks have shifted to a later time (AKA delayed phase). Resetting it back to social rhythms is going to take a bit of effort and some time. We humans thrive when we are in synch with our our own circadian rhythms. When we are out of synch, our systems begin to slowly collapse.
First of all, it’s important to know how much sleep we need, for each of us has different sleep requirements. Some of us do well on 8 hours while others need 11 hours (adolescence and youth need uninterrupted 8.5 – 11 hours daily, as per the Canadian 24 hour Movement Guidelines). Second, it is important to know your chronotype: Are you a morning person or an evening person? Does it take you a while to get going in the morning? If so, you might need more time to wake up and get yourself organized.
To shift your clock to an earlier bedtime so as to meet your sleep requirements, start by gently shifting your bedtime. Every night, start going to bed 15 minutes earlier than the night before, but keep your wake up time the same. Keep away from your screens at least an hour before going to bed – preferably more. In that hour, get your personal hygiene taken care, take a bath or a shower, read a book, or meditate, and if you are feeling a bit anxious, write those anxieties down and get them out of your head and onto paper. When you wake up in the morning, try to get some direct sunlight as soon as possible (for 15-20 minutes ) hydrate (drink a big glass of water), and have a good breakfast that includes protein, carbs, grain and fruit. Please do exercise – but not too close to bedtime (avoid 2-3 hours before bed). Also, remember not to eat too close to bedtime, – it will mess up your metabolic system and compromise the quality of your sleep.
Sleep is our superpower; it is where all good things happen. Don’t let anything compromise it. Compromising sleep means you are compromising both your physical and mental wellbeing. There are many interesting adventures and challenges coming your way! Get yourself prepared by getting a good night’s sleep.
