It’s well established that a good night’s sleep is essential for getting the day off to a good start. Nevertheless, sleep can sometimes be a struggle, which can affect our overall wellbeing and health.
“Sleep syncing” could be the solution. The concept, which is garnering millions of views on TikTok, promises to help you to regain control of your biological clock.
The idea is to synchronise your circadian rhythm, or internal body clock, with your daily routine. This technique is said to promote more restful sleep and give you more energy on a daily basis.
The circadian rhythm is the natural cycle of the internal biological clock, which lasts around 24 hours. Also known as the sleep-wake cycle, when properly aligned with our body’s natural needs, it ensures regular sleep; but when disrupted, problems such as insomnia can occur.
This is where sleep synchronisation comes in. All you have to do is adjust your meals, work, and physical activities in line with your circadian rhythm.
Concretely, the idea includes “creating a routine that signals to the brain and body that it is time to sleep, and optimises the internal circadian clock to work as it should”, sleep coach Dr Nilong Vyas told “Women’s Health” magazine.
If, for example, you feel drowsy from 11pm onwards, then this could become your new bedtime every day. And if you wake up naturally around 9am, this will be your wake-up time.
You also need to make sure you get enough rest: the recommended duration for an adult is estimated to be seven to nine hours. To make sure you don’t lose track, perhaps keep a logbook in which you record your daily routine.
If you can establish bedtime and wake-up times that respect the recommended sleep duration, two weeks is all it takes to get your body used to living by your circadian rhythm.
And if this synchronisation is well maintained, you’ll soon notice an improvement in your quality of sleep and a boost in your energy levels.
According to United States research published in February, going to sleep and waking up at regular times can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, even if this routine can be more difficult to apply for people in jobs with restrictive schedules.
Also, on weekends, we’re used to catching up on lost sleep, so we tend to wake up later. In this case, it’s advisable not to stagger your usual wake-up and bedtimes by more than two hours.