How to Reset Your Hormonal Rhythm and Wake Up Energized Every Day
If you’re waking up tired and groggy there is probably one of a couple things going on
You’re not getting enough quality, restorative sleep
Something is off with your hormones.
And more likely than not it’s a combination of the two! Part of the solution lies in your routines. Let’s talk about it!
First we need to talk about sleep and wake cycles.
There are two main hormones involved in regulating sleep and wake - Cortisol & Melatonin.
When you sleep your body goes into repair mode. Melatonin is a hormone that comes online at night and works as a master antioxidant to heal the body. If enough melatonin isn’t available, your body can’t stay asleep or repair efficiently.
Cortisol comes online in the morning to help you wake up, feel alert and modulate your immune system. Cortisol and melatonin are inversely related- meaning when one is high, the other is low and vice versa.
If you’re waking up feeling tired, it’s very likely that your cortisol is low when it’s supposed to be high and your melatonin is low when it needs to be high.
How to optimize your routine for deep restorative sleep
The best thing you can do to reset the relationship and rhythm of these two hormones is to go outside in the morning to see the sunrise and or be outside in the morning light. If you’re really struggling with significant health issues 30-60 minutes of this morning light is ideal - but even 5-10 minutes is much better than nothing
Try to do this before you turn on any artificial lights in your home (you can just stumble out the door in your pajamas if you need to!!)
What this does is signal for cortisol to turn on and it starts a cascade of events that will eventually signal for proper melatonin production at night. (your optimal sleep routine actually starts in the morning!)
Why morning sunlight matters so much
Morning light sets your body clock by letting your body know where it is in time and space. When the morning sunlight enters your eyes- the eyes send a message to your brain (specifically your suprachiasmatic nucleus-the master clock) - that says “She’s awake, she’s alive and she’s ready for the day.” It sets all your systems into motion- energy production, digestion etc.
The light exposure is imperative to signal optimal and functional cortisol levels and it anchors your body in time so that melatonin will rise again later as the sun goes down to help you fall asleep, stay asleep, and repair and heal as you rest.
So if you really have a hard time waking up in the morning or you struggle with chronic fatigue, one of the simplest yet foundationally powerful things you can do it expose yourself to the morning light right away or within 30 minutes of waking up.
What happens when you don’t get morning light
When your body doesn’t get this signaling, it disrupts your internal clock-your circadian rhythm. Maybe you’ve never done this and a lot of your health issues are starting to make sense as you read. A misaligned circadian rhythm can lead you feeling
Fatigued
Trouble falling asleep at night
Trouble staying asleep
Feeling exhausted in the morning
Feeling anxious or restless in the evening
Irregular menstrual cycles
All kinds of other health issues
To align even deeper with your hormones - check of my self paced online course Synced to Success to align your work routine with your hormonal flow for optimal productivity and hormonal health.
Now let's talk about the night!
The thing about melatonin is that it NEEDS DARKNESS to come alive. When the sun sets and darkness sets in, cortisol goes down and melatonin rises. However when the sun sets and you have all the lights on in your house, plus your cell phone and tv on, it’s not dark. So what happens? Cortisol stays elevated while melatonin is suppressed.
That means you’re not going to get the restorative rest and repair you need, and can easily lead to you waking up feeling not rested in the morning.
So what you should do instead is encourage darkness around your home after sunset. Use candles, pink himalayan salt lamps, incandescent lights and blue light blocker glasses.
Darkness at night combined with morning sunlight sets your hormones up for success by supporting healing and rest at night.
Evening habits that sabotage your quality sleep and how to fix them
Even if you are getting enough sleep, if you’re tired, you’re likely not getting quality sleep. Your sleep hygiene can make a HUGE difference. Here are some common habits that can disrupt your natural sleep cycle and what to do instead:
Using screens before bed-The concentrated blue light from your phone, tv and computer trick your brain into thinking it’s still daytime when it’s actually night time. Power down your devices 2 hours before bed time (better yet, turn your phone off and put it away). If you are on screens use bluelight blocker glasses to mitigate the concentration of blue light that suppresses melatonin production.
Working and stressing late into the night-Nighttime is when the your spirit going inward to rest. High mental stimulation keeps cortisol levels elevated when they need to go down. Put your work away and wind down for the night. Your work will be there tomorrow and you’ll be better equipped to handle it after you got your rest and repair ;)
Eating too late-Heavy meals close to bedtime interferes with melatonin production and proper digestion. Try to be done eating around sunset.
Artificial lighting-Once the sun goes down, keep the lights in your house dim. When there’s lights when it is suppose to get dark, melatonin will be suppressed while cortisol is staying raised-making it challenging to get the quality sleep your body needs.
How your hormones and sleep quality Effect each other
When sleep is not efficient, it isn’t just our energy that will suffer but your entire hormonal system.
Cortisol becomes dysregulated, which can leave you feeling tired in the morning, but exhausted and wired at night, or just simply fatigued all the time.
Insulin sensitivity decreases, making is harder to maintain your healthy body weight and can make food cravings feel unmanageable
Production of sex hormones like estrogen, progesterone and testosterone get disrupted- leading to painful periods, premenstrual syndrome symptoms, low libido, infertility, heavy bleeding and irregular cycles.
If you have a laundry list of symptoms and problems that you’d like personalized support for - check out my Sovereignty Support Program - 1:1 guidance designed to help you heal from the root and learn to thrive.
Creating a hormone friendly morning routine
Get outside right away upon waking up. 5-10 minutes for maintenance, 30-60 minutes if your body really needs a lot of support.
Hydrate first thing in the morning with mineral rich water.
Eat a breakfast rich in protein within about an hour of seeing the sunrise.
Avoid devices, screens and artificial light for the first 1-2 hours of being awake. (if this seems outlandish to you- I promise you will feel SO much better and adjust quicker than you think!)
Be mindful. The energy you start the day with is the energy you crave throughout the day. Move with intention, set your goals for the day, breathe.
Think of your hormonal rhythm as a 24 hour clock
Morning light sets the clock for the day and evening darkness restores the system and keeps everything running smoothly into the night and into the next day. Your hormones thrive on proper signaling and consistent alignment with the cycles of nature. Within a week or so of following these routine notes- you can start to notice waking up with more ease, waking up before your alarm, better focus, better energy, better health and overall sense of vitality and connection to your body. Try it and see for yourself! :)
By reconnecting to these natural cycles of light you can reset your hormonal rhythm for healthy hormones and wake up feeling energized, everyday. :)
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