Sleep
Sleep is one of nature's greatest gifts. It is as vital to our health as eating and breathing. We need this break to relax, repair, replenish, and rejuvenate.

Sadly, the pressures of modern times mean too many of us aren't getting the rest we need. Artificial lighting and air conditioning keep us separate from Mother Earth and disconnect us from the natural rhythms of life that influence our biology.
If you've tried everything to improve your sleep, but are still not seeing the improvements you desire, then perhaps it's because you've been overlooking the most fundamental aaspects of how your body was designed to operate.
A circadian rhythm is a daily cycle that occurs throughout much of the natural world – a 24 hour pattern that guides the daily functions of plants, animals, and of course, our selves. In humans, circadian rhythms are the physical, mental and behavioural patterns that our bodies follow over the course of the day. These rhythms influence many important functions including hormone release, body temperature, eating habits and digestion, cognitive function, mood, immunity, and of course, sleep.
Nearly every tissue and organ in our bodies contains its own biological clock. These are all guided by one master clock in the brain – the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) – which is directly influenced by environmental cues, especially light, which is why circadian rhythms are tied to the cycle of day and night and why it's the single most important factor in regulating your sleep cycle.
Our modern lifestyles mean many of us are living out of alignment, causing significant disturbances to these processes and impacting both our short and long-term health. Circadian disruption has been linked with almost all chronic diseases, from heart disease and cancer, to immunological conditions, reproductive issues, gastrointestinal conditions and a number of psychiatric disorders.
Learning how to re-synchronise your life with nature is one of the simplest, most cost-effective strategies to improve your sleep, optimise your health and possibly even prevent or reverse disease.
There are several habits we can cultivate to help maintain a healthy circadian rhythm, including exercising daily, eating at consistent times, following a consistent sleep-wake schedule and avoiding naps during the day.
Here are some of our favourite tips for building an optimum light routine to bring your body’s circadian rhythm back into alignment and get the sleep:
Open the blinds as soon as you wake up - Ideally, you want to catch a few minutes of sunlight within 15 minutes of waking, and before any other light hits your eyes. This tells your brain to stop making the sleep hormone melatonin and to start producing cortisol which wakes you up and makes you feel more alert and ready to face the day. Try and spend at least 5 minutes outdoors in the morning, or at the very least, crack a window to let the rays in. It doesn't matter if it's cloudy.
This means NOT looking at your phone before you get out of bed!
Sunlight is a natural source of blue light and we need exposure to blue light during the day to maintain our circadian rhythm. Make sure you take breaks from your screen as often as you can during the day to see natural light. Step outside for 5 minutes. Preferably without sunglasses! Sunglasses block the necessary light signals from reaching our eyes.
At sunset, the sun naturally emits high amounts of deep red and near infra red light which signal to your body it's time to wind down and relax. Mimic nature indoors by avoiding bright lights and instead using warm red lights, candles, or himalayan salt lamps.
Exposure to bright, blue light at night blocks melatonin production, making it more difficult to fall and stay asleep. Blue light at night also causes cortisol to spike, not only inhibiting sleep, but also increasing sugar cravings, insulin, and compromising hormone signalling.
Turn off all screens an hour or two before bed, or if you truly cannot avoid it, use a red light filter on your phone or laptop, or wear blue light blocking glasses. Many new devices have built-in functions enabling you to control your blue light exposure, however if yours doesn't, We love the Twilight App for android phones, Iris software for your computer, and Block Blue Light for glasses.
Sleep in a pitch black room without any electronics in the room and definitely no devices charging. You may not be able to see the invisible EMF (Electromagnetic Frequencies) being emitted, but your pineal gland can and this inhibits melatonin production.
Aligning with the circadian rhythm helps activate the body’s innate intelligence. The more we can live in accordance with nature, the smoother our lives will flow…
Here are some of our favourite tips for a good night's sleep.
Be consistent: Setting a bedtime (and wake time) and sticking to it, even on weekends is a powerful tool for getting better sleep.
Declutter your bedroom: Create a restorative sleep sanctuary by removing anything that distracts you from sleeping. Your brain cannot relax when it surrounded by mess.
Limit caffeine intake: The effects of caffeine can last up to 7 hours after you consume it. Avoid drinking coffee after midday.
Create a routine to help you relax: Retrain your mind and body to relax by carrying out similar habits each night. You might want to add some lavender oil to a hot bath and then settle down to read, or listen to some soothing music, journal, or meditate.
Make sure your room is the right temperature: For us to fall asleep, our body temperature needs to drop. A room temperature of around 18 degrees celsius helps signal to our body it's time for bed.
Have a glass of warm salt water before bed: This can raise your oxytocin levels, helping you to feel calm, and relaxed.
Herbs for Sleep: Valerian, Passionflower, Lavender, Chamomile, California Poppy, Holy Basil, Ashwagandha, St John's Wort, Wild Lettuce, Lemon Balm