Written by Dr. Craig Mortensen, DC, IFMCP, QME, IFM-Certified | September 2020, Updated October 2026
The 2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to researchers for their discoveries of molecular mechanisms that control circadian rhythm, our biological “clock.” This sleep-wake cycle helps us move between sleepiness and alertness at regular intervals, and regulates important functions such as:
Behavior
Sleep
Mood
Metabolism
Although we’ve long known the circadian rhythm exists, the Nobel awardees isolated the gene that controls it and identified the proteins that govern its cyclical function.
The Importance of Healthy Circadian Rhythm
Humans, like other animals, have internal clocks set to the sun's rising and setting. A healthy sleep-wake cycle is critical for many aspects of our health. Circadian rhythm imbalances increase risk for heart disease, obesity, mood disturbances such as depression and anxiety, diabetes, cancer, dementia, and Alzheimer’s, and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Despite the circadian rhythm’s intuitive design, modern life often sabotages its critical balance. Some disruptive factors can’t be avoided, while others can, but most of us have the tools and knowledge to minimize their negative effects. We just need to do it.
How Daylight Saving Time Disrupts Your Sleep and Circadian Rhythm
Daylight saving time throws a kink in our internal clocks twice a year, and the spring switch, when we lose an hour, is the rough one. A 2020 University of Colorado study found that fatal car crashes jump about 6% in the week after we spring forward. That’s roughly 28 extra deaths every year, just from losing one hour of sleep. Losing an hour hits hardest for people already sleep-deprived, including night-shift workers.
Prepare for daylight saving time by shifting your bedtime and waking time a bit every day the week before.
Fall Back Tip:
When we “fall back” in November, you gain an hour, which sounds great, but it can still leave you waking up too early and fading by dinner. Get bright light first thing in the morning, and try to keep your bedtime consistent for a few days so your body can catch up.
How to Beat Jet Lag
Everyone laments how jet lag can wipe you out. Jet lag occurs when the time of day doesn’t line up with your body’s clock. Crossing two time zones should take you about a day of readjustment; however, crossing six time zones can easily take three days or more to recover. So if you are going on vacation somewhere far, you may be recovering from jet lag when it’s time to go home and repeat the process.
My recommendation is that the farther you travel and the more time zones you cross, the longer you should stay, giving your body more time to recover. Plus, you get the added benefit of a longer vacation under the guise of better health.
You can also try taking some melatonin to help trigger your sleep cycle and stay asleep longer. Other sleep aids may help, such as valerian root, chamomile, and hops. I have included some links that you can check out.
Beware: chronic time zone jumping can suppress your immune system, cause chronic fatigue, and lead to memory issues.
Here are some other tips to help you lessen the effects of jet lag when traveling.
Plan ahead by shifting your body’s internal clock toward the destination time zone in the week before.
Hydrate before and during the trip.
Choose a flight that gets you to your destination in the early evening and stay up only until 10 p.m. local time. If you arrive early and are exhausted, take a two-hour nap, but no longer.
Once you arrive, get some sun to help your body adjust to the new time zone. This is simple and one of the most effective things you can do.
Are You Getting Enough Sleep?
More than a third of American adults don’t get the recommended seven or more hours of sleep, according to the CDC. Even one week of short sleep can change how your genes behave, including ones tied to stress, immunity, inflammation, and aging. Over the long haul, short sleep is linked to heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and depression. A 25-year study of nearly 8,000 people found that those who regularly slept six hours or less in their 50s and 60s had about a 30% higher risk of developing dementia. Most adults need 7–8 hours, and some need even more.
Let’s talk electronics!
The CDC calls insufficient sleep a public health epidemic, and research shows constant exposure to blue light from electronic devices is a major culprit.
Blue Light and Screen Time
Melatonin levels help you fall asleep. During a normal day, morning light signals your body to decrease melatonin levels, promoting wakefulness; as the day darkens, melatonin increases to encourage sleep.
However, adults and children disrupt this cycle by using smartphones and tablets late into the night. This can cause chronic insomnia because our brains perceive the blue light these devices emit as daytime light, which suppresses melatonin and keeps us awake.
Some Tips to Combat the Melatonin-Disrupting Effect of Blue Light
Minimize blue screen time. Read a book instead. Turn off all screens (phone included) two hours before bed. If you can’t do that, get a pair of orange safety glasses. Side note: Put your phone in airplane mode before bed. Wi-Fi can be damaging
Also, change your phone settings to “night-shift” or “day-shift.” The phone will automatically shift the light type based on the time of day.
Get the Right Light at the Right Time
Proper light exposure patterns during the day strongly affect how well we sleep.
Start each day with as much bright light as possible. Eat breakfast with as many lights on as possible to stimulate serotonin production, which later supports melatonin production. Serotonin converts to melatonin. You can also add sunlight.
Get light during the day at home and work. Open the shades; turn on all the lights (try full-spectrum); sit by a window and look out often; take a walk outside during your breaks.
Minimize evening light by dimming or turning off unnecessary lights. Put orange bulbs in lamps you use at night, especially next to your bed and for reading. This helps to jump-start melatonin production in preparation for sleep.
Don’t Skip the Sunlight
Daytime light patterns aren’t the only way light affects our circadian rhythm; exposure to actual sunlight is key to healthy body and brain function.
Research shows the average person spends less than an hour outside each day. Shift workers spend even less time outdoors. Lack of sunlight exposure inhibits melatonin production, affecting sleep and potentially reducing Vitamin D levels, which are key for bone health, mood regulation, and immune function.
Get direct sunlight every day. If you can’t get outside, use a quality light box early in the day.
Go sunglasses-free even for just 10–15 minutes to give your eyes and brain beneficial sunlight exposure.
Respecting Your Body’s Natural Rhythm
Your body’s innate sleep cycle is largely controlled by the amount and pattern of light and dark you are exposed to each day. By managing the lifestyle factors that disrupt your circadian rhythm, you will support your body’s ability to function well and stay healthy. For help with sleep issues, please contact my office.
I have included a bunch of links at the bottom of this post for products that can help improve both the quality and quantity of your sleep.
I primarily use physician-only brands such as Xymogen and Designs for Health, which you can order directly from them or in my office. Another great option is Healthwave, also known as Fullscript. I recommend patients get the rest of their supplements here if they can’t make it into my office. We buy in bulk and don’t charge extra sales tax, so you get it cheaper, but these websites are great alternatives.
My Recommended Sleep Products
Melatonin
Chamomille Tea
Hops
Rest and Relax
Kava - Kava is great for calming anxiety, but it has been linked to rare cases of liver injury. Don’t combine it with alcohol or sedative medications, and avoid it if you have liver problems or are pregnant or breastfeeding. Check with your practitioner first.
Sleep & Preform
Gaba - See my post: How to Test Yourself for Leaky Gut. The “Gaba Challenge“
Lemon balm
Products to help circadian rhythm (or not impair it)
Light therapy box
Blue blocking glasses/orange glasses
Full spectrum lights
I’m Dr. Craig Mortensen
Be healthy, be happy.
Written by Dr. Craig Mortensen, DC, IFMCP, QME, IFM-Certified Functional Medicine Physician and founder of Premier IFM in Placentia, CA, serving patients throughout Orange County and Southern California.
