Leveraging Morning Routines for Better Sleep

In a time where the hustle and bustle of daily life often take precedence, the significance of structured morning routines in fostering better sleep hygiene has never been more essential. Drawing upon an array of scientific insights, this guide aims to unravel the nuanced inter-play morning routines and enhanced sleep quality.

The Formative Role of Sunlight in Structuring Sleep Hygiene

Starting this exploration, the vital role of sunlight in supporting various body functions essential for good sleep cannot be ignored. The sunrise begins a biological sequence determining hormone actions throughout the day, ensuring a restful evening.

Think of morning sunlight as a natural regulator for our circadian rhythm, the cycle controlling sleep patterns. It chiefly manages melatonin production, a hormone ensuring deep sleep as night falls (Cajochen et al., 2005).

Additionally, sunlight promotes serotonin production, a mood-enhancing neurotransmitter. It ensures a relaxed state, helping us transition smoothly to sleep as day turns to night (Lambert et al., 2002).

Moreover, sunlight assists in vitamin D production, contributing to better sleep (Gominak & Stumpf, 2012). Thus, incorporating morning sunlight is essential for optimal sleep experiences.

Sunlight as a means to regulate our circadian rhythm is best as early and close to waking as possible (winter sun rise permitting). On a clear sky 5-10 minutes of staring towards but not at the sun (assuming your eyes don't hurt - if they do, you've gotten too close, make sure you're not causing yourself eye damage). On a somewhat overcast day 10-15 minutes should do the trick. On a very dark, overcast day 30 minutes are the minimum you'll want to aim for.

Natural Daylight and Artificial Light: A Comparative Exploration

Natural daylight emits essential blue light that aligns our circadian rhythms. But excess blue light in the evening can disrupt sleep by limiting melatonin (Tosini et al., 2016).

Artificial lights, though less intense than daylight, are crucial, particularly during shorter days. They provide a consistent light source meeting our daily needs (Cho et al., 2016).

You can think of natural day light as being very, very bright, but equally very diffuse, which means that although far brighter than artifial lights, you can intake all that light without it being harmful to the eyes.
Artificial light, however, isn't as bright, but it is very concentrated in one spot, which makes it look bright even though it is not as bright.

We need a conciderable amount of amount in the morning to get all of our systems awake and firing on all cylinders; unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the evening. It takes only a small amount of light to disrupt melatonin production and secretion, which means watching that extra episode of Stranger Things is probably a bad idea, if you want to maximise your sleep.

Steadfast Wake-Up Time: A Keystone in Sleep Hygiene

One of the most important things for us to focus on, which is deeply based on research is a consistent wake up time. This approach is rooted in our understanding of human physiology. Sticking to a set wake-up time aligns with our body's natural tendencies, promoting better sleep hygiene (Hirshkowitz et al., 2015).

Looking across various age groups, it's clear that everyone benefits from a consistent wake-up routine, which supports a balanced sleep-wake cycle.

Consistently waking up at the same time, or at least within 30 minutes of that time, is crucial for maintaining a stable circadian rhythm. When you stick to a regular wake-up schedule, your body adjusts and prepares itself to wake up. A prime example of this adjustment is the 'temperature minimum' phenomenon. About 2 hours before you're set to wake up, your body's core temperature drops to its lowest point in the entire day. After hitting this low, the temperature starts to rise, signaling your body to wake up around 2 hours later.

Without a consistent wake up time, your body struggles to set that pattern in motion, which leads to feelings of perpetual tiredness and lethargy.

Elevating Core Body Temperature: An Unveiled Morning Strategy

Early in the day, our body naturally experiences a temperature rise, closely tied to the waking world. This change presents a chance to align our internal clock by intentionally raising our body temperature (Kräuchi, 2002).

At this point, various activities come into play to harness this temperature rise. Engaging in regular morning exercises offers numerous benefits, from mood enhancement to better physical health, helping set a rhythm conducive to good sleep (Youngstedt et al., 2019). Exercise increases core body temperature, so engaging in some form of exercise that elevates the heart rate, even if it is yoga, early in the morning can be beneficial in setting that internal clock.

Going further, we also see the emerging practice of cold immersions. Here, the body reacts to the cold by increasing its core temperature, a method gaining traction in regulating our internal clock (Leppäluoto et al., 2005). The same can be achieved with cold showers.

Conclusion

Maintaining a consistent morning routine, which complements our body's waking processes, is essential for a robust sleep pattern.

While evening routines matter, mornings hold more weight. Evenings can be unpredictable due to social or work commitments, leaving us with less control.

Conversely, mornings are within our control. Start by absorbing natural light immediately upon waking (aim for 5-30 minutes, depending on how overcast the sky is). Engage in some exercise to get your heart rate up and induce light perspiration. It doesn't have to replace a full workout, but it's beneficial. If you're up for it, consider a cold shower or ice bath for a few minutes, which have many more benefits that we'll save for a separate blog post aside from increasing your core temperature.

We'll be covering what an evening routine should look like in part 2, so stay tuned.