Camping to reset your circadian rhythm
I’m sure you can recall a time when you went camping, perhaps you went after a long time of being absent from the woods. The first morning you wake in your tent, you usually rise when the sun does. It pierces through your tent urging you to get out of bed. In the evening after the sunsets, you naturally have no problem falling asleep earlier than you usually do. This is because camping can actually help you reset your circadian rhythm. According to the National Institute of General Medical Studies, circadian rhythms, “are physical, mental and behavioral changes that follow a roughly 24-hour cycle, responding primarily to light and darkness in an organism’s environment.” Exposure to natural light actually resets our natural circadian rhythms. Your circadian rhythm will naturally synchronize to solar time, Our biological night occurs at sunset and our biological night ends at sunrise. Exposure to natural light allows the body to naturally align itself with “light-dark” cycle. This might sound something natural and easy. However, since the invention of electrical light our circadian rhythms have suffered dramatically. Not only are we able to rise before the sun and stay up when the moon fills our sky, but we are able to fully function because of electrical light. Electrical light has impacted how we live. We can do more before the sun rises and sets every day. However, a study suggests that because our environments are bursting with electrical light we have decreased our exposure to sunlight during the day and have in turn increased our exposure to light after sunset. This in turn, delays our circadian rhythm.
Take a moment to plan a camping trip
Not too long ago we used to go to bed shortly after the sun went down and woke up around sunrise. Our circadian rhythms were aligned when the sun rose and when the sun set for the evening. By exposing yourself to a few days or even a week of only natural light (put those electronic devices away!), you will be more likely to go to bed earlier and wake up a bit earlier. From my experience when I go camping, I tend to wake up earlier, go to bed earlier and get more sleep than I usually do most nights. I would suggest you take a moment to plan a camping trip for purposes of resetting your circadian rhythm.
