My Story - Dr Prabath

By Dr. Prabath, Founder of Millionaire Health Habits & Owner of Unique Medical Cranbourne, Australia

Live Richer in Every Way

By Dr prabath

Transform Your Nights, Change Everything

Now that you know the benefits and harmful effects of good and bad sleeping habits, I would like to introduce an inspirational book that taught me a lot about sleeping: Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker. You can listen to the book summary via the link below,

- Why We Sleep

Or if you like to listen to the whole book, pls check the link below,

- Listen Full Book

Now, let’s dive into the book in more detail

Circadian Rhythm: The Body’s Internal Clock

Definition and Location

Did you know that you have a body clock? So you can throw away that expensive or cheap alarm clock on Gumtree after you read this section!

The circadian rhythm is a 24-hour internal biological clock that regulates multiple physiological processes, including the sleep-wake cycle. This clock is located in the brain’s suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), a tiny region within the hypothalamus. The SCN coordinates the timing of various bodily functions to align with the external environment’s day-night cycle. If you have an excellent body clock, you don’t need an alarm clock to wake up!

How It Works

The SCN receives direct input from the eyes, specifically from specialised light-sensitive cells in the retina. These cells detect the presence or absence of light and send signals to the SCN. Light is the primary cue (a zeitgeber) that resets and synchronises the circadian clock daily, ensuring it stays aligned with the 24-hour day.
In response to light, the SCN sends hormonal and nervous signals to regulate alertness, body temperature, hormone release, and other functions. So it’s essential to get enough sunlight in the morning to let your SCN know it’s morning, so that the clock starts ticking precisely and makes you sleepy at nighttime

Daily Rhythm

During daylight, the circadian rhythm promotes wakefulness and alertness by stimulating the release of hormones such as cortisol and elevating body temperature.

As darkness falls, the SCN signals the pineal gland to produce melatonin, often called the “sleep hormone,” which prepares the body for sleep by lowering alertness and body temperature.
This cycle repeats daily, influencing when we feel sleepy or awake.

Individual Variations

People have differences in their circadian timing, often referred to as chronotypes. For example, “morning larks” feel most alert earlier in the day, while “night owls” prefer staying late and waking up later.
These variations are partly genetic and can affect sleep patterns and peak cognitive performance times.

Disruptions and Consequences

Exposure to artificial light at night, especially blue light from screens, can confuse the SCN by mimicking daylight, suppressing melatonin production and delaying sleep onset.
Shift work, jet lag, and irregular sleep schedules disrupt the circadian rhythm, leading to sleep problems and increased risks for various health issues, including metabolic disorders, mood disturbances, and impaired cognitive function. So if you want to live longer and avoid Diabetes and dementia, etc, the next time your boss offers a bigger salary, think about me and politely say, No

In summary:

The circadian rhythm is the master timekeeper of the body’s daily light signals, regulating when we feel awake and sleepy. Maintaining alignment between your circadian rhythm and environment is crucial for healthy, restorative sleep.

Practical tips

You might wonder, what’s the point of knowing all this boring science? How do I apply this to my life?
Imagine the circadian rhythm as your body’s natural alarm clock. If you train it well, you should be going to bed at the same time daily and without an alarm clock, wake up at the same time and then feel super active

So how do we fine-tune our broken clock? We need to use the concept of zeitgeber ( cues for simplicity )
The best way to fine-tune this clock is to have set morning and evening routines. For example, I wake up every day at 5:30 a.m. and go to bed every day around 10 p.m. This consistent bedtime routine is not a zeitgeber by itself, but it works to synchronise sleep.

I will tell you my secret recipe to make your clock a Swiss masterpiece. I exercise every day around 7:30 am, have breakfast around 8 am, and then shower at 8:15 am. As you can see, this adds three cues that tell my circadian rhythm: it’s morning. When I drive to work, I make sure not to have my sunglasses on to allow plenty of sun to go to my eyes and activate my SCN

In the evening, when I drive home, I wear sunglasses to avoid exposure to the sun, and after coming home around 6 pm, I do a regular walk or a run, followed by a nice hot shower. Then, I have dinner with the family around 7 pm and start my nighttime winding routine of reading books, etc. As you can see, I have around 3 to 4 zeitgebers in the morning and evening that act as clear cues

So make sure to add these zeitgebers to your morning and evening routine, and sleep like a baby, and you might never finish this boring newsletter.