Page 73 - Prevention - USA (April 2020)

MAKE YOUR BODY CLOCK WORK FOR YOU
Even when your circadian those clocks mean certain expert and the author
rhythm is humming along organs and hormones of The Power of When.
nicely, you’ll find that are working best at With some strategic
your brain and body have different times of the scheduling, you can
certain peak moments day,” explains Michael take advantage of your
for various activities. “All Breus, Ph.D., a sleep circadian rhythm.

PLAN IMPORTANT HAVE AN EARLY-
MEETINGS FOR AFTERNOON CATNAP.
LATE MORNING. If you can, grab
a 20-minute nap
Melatonin levels are
still slightly elevated between 1 p.m. and
when you wake. But 4 p.m. Anything
longer can make it
by 9:30 or 10 a.m.,
melatonin secretion trickier to drift off that
has stopped, while evening, Brager says,
but this brief snooze
energizing cortisol is
ramping up. “Most “does wonders for
people operate at emotional health,
productivity, and
their peak between
10 a.m. and noon,” general well-being.”
says Allison Brager,
Ph.D., chief of the EXERCISE BEFORE
Sleep Research Center BREAKFAST OR
at Walter Reed Army AFTER LUNCH.
Institute of Research.
An Arizona State
University study found
IF YOU’RE GOING TO that working out at
HAVE A COCKTAIL, 7 a.m. or between
DRINK IT AROUND 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.
could shift the body’s
DINNERTIME. clock earlier, helping
The liver produces an people fall asleep
enzyme called dehy- more easily. Exercising
drogenase that breaks later can delay the
down toxins in the body clock, making for
body, including alco- sluggish mornings.
hol. Dehydrogenase
has its own circadian guessed it—happy SWITCH TO DECAF AFTER 4 P.M.
rhythm, and it’s hour. But stick to one Recent findings suggest that an evening
strongest between drink: Overdoing it cup of joe changes circadian rhythms at
5 p.m. and 7 p.m., can throw off your the cellular level. “Not only is the coffee
says Breus. That circadian rhythm, you drink at 8 p.m. going to disrupt your
means your liver leading to sleepless sleep that night, but it’s also telling your
metabolizes alcohol nights and a host of internal clock to delay bedtime by about
most easily and effec- other health prob- an hour the following day,” explains Tina
tively during—you lems, Breus adds. Burke, Ph.D., a researcher at Walter Reed.