Your Body Clock Didn't Get the Memo! 😂 How Light Affects Sleep After 50

Well, the clocks went back at the weekend.

Apparently, we all gained an extra hour in bed. Lovely!

Except nobody bothered telling my bloody body clock, which still thought it was time to get up at the crack of dawn! 😂

But it got me thinking about something I find absolutely fascinating.

Did you know we've all got our very own little clock ticking away inside us?

And it has a lot more influence over how we feel than you might imagine.

What Is Your Circadian Rhythm?

It's called your circadian rhythm (sounds rather posh, doesn't it?).

Basically, it's your body's built-in 24-hour timing system.

It helps regulate when you feel awake, when you get sleepy, your energy levels, body temperature, hormones and even your appetite.

And it's been doing its thing for thousands of years, long before anyone invented an alarm clock!

The clever thing is that our bodies don't need to look at a watch to know roughly what time of day it is.

They use signals from the world around us, particularly natural daylight, to help keep everything running to schedule.

How Did We Mess Up Our Body Clocks?

Years ago, before electricity and all our modern gadgets, people's daily routines were much more closely connected to daylight.

The sun came up, people got on with their day, and as darkness fell, things generally started winding down.

Simple really.

And then we went and buggered it all up! 😂

Along came electric lights, televisions, computers, mobile phones and Netflix.

Suddenly, we could turn night into day.

Now we can sit in a brightly lit room at 11pm, scrolling through Instagram, watching another episode of something and wondering why the hell we're still wide awake!

The trouble is, our brains are still very much influenced by light.

Morning daylight helps signal that it's time to wake up and be alert.

As evening approaches and light levels fall, our bodies normally begin increasing production of melatonin, a hormone that helps prepare us for sleep.

But when we're surrounded by bright artificial lighting late into the evening, we can interfere with those natural signals.

We're effectively telling our brains:

“Nope! Still daytime! Keep going!”

No wonder winding down can sometimes feel like such hard work.

Why Does Our Body Clock Matter More as We Get Older?

Here's the really interesting bit.

Our circadian rhythm doesn't just influence when we feel sleepy.

It also plays a part in our energy, mood, appetite, hormones and how our bodies function throughout the day.

And as we move through midlife and beyond, our sleep patterns can begin to change.

We may find ourselves waking earlier, feeling sleepy sooner in the evening or waking more frequently during the night.

For women, hormonal changes around menopause can add another layer to the whole sleep situation.

As if we needed anything else to think about! 😂

Of course, not every sleep problem is caused by our body clock. Stress, health conditions, medication and plenty of other things can play a part too.

But supporting our natural daily rhythm is one simple way we can help our bodies along.

Simple Ways to Support Your Circadian Rhythm

Now, I'm certainly not suggesting we all throw away our lamps and start going to bed when the sun sets.

Flippin' heck, we'd be in our pyjamas before The Chase had finished! 😂

But there are a few small things worth trying.

• Get some natural daylight in the morning. Even a short walk outside can help reinforce your body's wake-up signals.

• Move your body regularly. Walking, Pilates, strength training or anything you enjoy can support better sleep and general wellbeing.

• Dim the lights in the evening. Give your brain a chance to recognise that the day is winding down.

• Ease off the late-night scrolling. Your phone doesn't have to be the last thing you look at before bed.

• Keep reasonably consistent sleep and waking times. Our bodies generally appreciate a bit of routine.

Nothing particularly complicated.

And certainly nothing that requires buying another expensive gadget or supplement!

And That Brings Us Nicely Onto Sleep…

Because while we're all busy worrying about exercise, eating well and looking after ourselves as we get older, sleep can sometimes end up being the poor relation.

Yet there's an awful lot going on while we're tucked up under the duvet.

Our brains are processing memories, our bodies are repairing and recovering, and our immune systems are getting on with some very important work.

Sleep isn't simply a case of switching off for a few hours.

It's an essential part of looking after ourselves, particularly as we get older.

And that's something I'll be exploring in my next blog post.

For now, perhaps have a little think about the signals you're giving your body throughout the day.

Are you helping it recognise the difference between day and night?

Or are you keeping the poor thing permanently guessing? 😂

A little more morning daylight, a little less evening brightness and a bit of regular movement might be a rather good place to start.

Because healthy ageing isn't just about what we do when we're exercising. It's about how we look after ourselves during the other 23 hours of the day too.

Alison x 💜

P.S. Talking of mornings… did I mention we have live strength sessions at 7am every Wednesday and Friday in Flexpress? 💪

Just 20 minutes to get the body moving, wake up those muscles and start the day feeling rather smug! 😂

And with the clocks changing, why not follow it with a cuppa outside in the morning daylight? Your body clock will thank you!

If you fancy joining us, you can find out more about 👉🏼 Flexpress here.