The notion that our circadian clock is simply about sleep is unfortunate. So is advice that puts our sleep habits on trial when our sleep-wake rhythm is woefully out of whack.
At least two daily habits that seemingly have nothing to do with sleep appear to reset the circadian clock—sometimes quite rapidly. Not surprisingly, the habits themselves revolve around timing: when to view light and when to eat.
In a physiological sense, we human beings are made from the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the sunlight that triggers biochemical processes in our bodies. This same sunlight feeds the plants we eat, which also feed the animals we eat. Plants are biochemically solar-powered, converting sunlight into food and growth. All that to say, the sun is far more than a universal alarm clock, it has a biochemical effect on our bodies and everything we eat. Now, scientists are beginning to figure out how that effect works—and how we can use it….