Circadian Light Timing: Boost Cortisol & Improve Sleep Efficiency | Biohack

00:00:00: That means you have about forty percent more cortisol in your blood, and what they've also seen is that sleep efficiency actually improves.

00:00:07: I definitely don't want to turn them on at the evening because then you get this intensity of light in your eyes... ...and it's really unpleasant and almost blinding!

00:00:14: And that's what you want in the morning – You just want a healthy rhythm throughout the day….

00:00:20: …and that why cortisol isn't

00:00:21: bad.

00:00:28: A new biohack every day for a week.

00:00:31: Today number two, circadian light timing!

00:00:35: Mario what is your morning light routine?

00:00:39: My light routine is actually very rudimentary.

00:00:42: basically I just always try to step out onto the balcony for a bit in the morning either while brushing my teeth or if i'm just looking at my phone to my phone, exactly.

00:00:56: But then I at least read the news on the balcony for five minutes.

00:00:59: that way you get some natural light even if the sun isn't shining directly on it and thats actually a whole point of this circadian light timing.

00:01:08: The problem is indoors whether your sitting in office or kitchen or living room You just gets so few luxe Luxes are a measure of brightness And indoors its like two, three four five hundred lux unless you have a special lamp and that is way too little to signal.

00:01:32: To the brain or the eyes that it's now bright enough to for example get up at the day starting and so on and so forth.

00:01:40: And um You can definitely use that your advantage.

00:01:44: exactly do go outside in the winter?

00:01:46: Two since you're so sensitive to the cold.

00:01:49: yes because in winter only The air is called And so that's yeah, I don't have a cold plunge on the balcony and cold air is not a problem.

00:01:57: Of course i put something warmer than you have to combination right?

00:02:01: Cold in itself is already awakeness stimulus makes it more awake.

00:02:06: then daylight added And that is then of course actually the perfect combination, the perfect storm for a nice morning and my cortisol awakening response.

00:02:16: Yeah

00:02:17: you're absolutely right!

00:02:18: The thing with luxe first off all measure.

00:02:20: how bright it exactly?

00:02:22: Outside even in the morning its already several thousand luxes.

00:02:26: We don't really get indoors because most lamps we have everyday life are lamp shade around them.

00:02:33: It's usually not even one thousand which still better than no light at all.

00:02:38: And there's actually some very interesting data on that if you look into the light in the morning and also use light, but the cortisol spike is then also much higher.

00:02:47: That means you have about forty percent more cortisol in your blood?

00:02:51: And that's just because used like compared to when you didn't use light especially in winter we naturally had a problem that we tend to have less light right.

00:03:01: and then we might have two help ourselves with tools uh... intense lamps.

00:03:08: because cortisol, to say it again is not necessarily just a stress marker.

00:03:12: It's also an energy marker.

00:03:14: that means more cortisol Also mean first of all That more energy is available in the body and that's what you want.

00:03:20: In The morning You want To have higher cortisol?

00:03:22: In The Morning you Just Want to Have A healthy Rhythm Throughout The day.

00:03:25: And That'S Why Cortisol Is Not Bad per se

00:03:29: I said earlier.

00:03:30: So in An office or indoors usually Have About two hundred Two five Hundred Lucks And this cortisol awakening response is particularly strong starting at eight hundred lux.

00:03:40: That means in a normal indoor room with normal windows if you don't have floor to ceiling Windows like we have here for example, Here you certainly have more Lux than I do it my bedroom and that respect just having much more pronounced stimulus the signals of body.

00:03:54: hey your wake now today is starting and that's such an anchor point for circadian rhythm.

00:04:00: so they start at let say alarm goes off at seven thirty And it's already light at seven forty five when you get up and go out.

00:04:07: Or maybe your lucky enough that the sun or the light is shining into the room, then just open a window stand by the wind for moment.

00:04:15: also okay walk to work in morning bike to work.

00:04:20: so there are different ways make use of.

00:04:22: but about this anchor point for circadian rhythm because than long run find easier fall asleep day started earlier And otherwise if you only wake up in darkness so to speak.

00:04:38: that's of course particularly difficult.

00:04:39: and winter because then it is also just dark in the morning right.

00:04:43: So how do you get your sufficient luxe in winter when have to be at work at seven or seven thirty?

00:04:49: thats not easy, help yourself with something else which i know u own but don't use very often doesn't look aesthetic enough.

00:04:59: Yeah,

00:04:59: exactly I always get scolded at home with all my gadgets.

00:05:02: but that aside i don't want to annoy anyone here because i know you guys sometimes listen to the podcast too.

00:05:09: But of course i also have a daylight lamp and it actually has several thousand looks.

00:05:13: And in winter i can put this by the sink for example when im getting ready In the morning Then i just have very bright effect.

00:05:22: What else ive done?

00:05:23: I've generally installed brighter lamps which also gives over a thousand looks.

00:05:29: That's something that is normally rather unpleasant, so in the evening I definitely don't want to turn it on because then you get this intensity of light in your eyes and its really unpleasant but almost blinding But actually pretty ideal for morning And i'm definetly allowed use It!

00:05:45: That works very well For me.

00:05:48: What they've seen is sleep efficiency improves.

00:05:53: Another important point Perceived brightness doesn't always tell you how bright it actually is, right?

00:06:00: So if you have fluorescent light somewhere indoors You'd probably think wow.

00:06:05: It's crazy Brighton here Right now and If you're standing outside under a cloudy sky at the same time You think anything about as bright that I actually Is right.

00:06:14: so if you Have fluorescent lights somewhere in doors you'd Probably Think Wow its Crazy Brighton Here right yeah.

00:06:20: And if your Standing Outside Under A Cloudy Sky At The Same Time You'd Think okay Where'S the Brightness Here?

00:06:25: You shouldn't underestimate that because even with a cloudy sky, you get between one thousand and two thousand lux which is still double to four times what you have in the normally lit office space for example.

00:06:36: There are also measuring devices.

00:06:38: i don't think you need to buy a measuring device.

00:06:40: there are also lamps that indicate how many lucks they have sometimes your little disappointed id say because it's so low right even though the room is still brightly lit.

00:06:50: So just keep in mind outside the luxe is always significantly stronger when its cloudy and worth going out, not be confused with light color.

00:07:02: that's determined by kelvin.

00:07:03: there different kelvin levels one thousand two thousand six thousand seven thousand.

00:07:07: That basically indicates how blue or red the light is another independent factor.

00:07:12: in the morning it ideally relatively blue because that also helps with waking up and evening its relatively should be more yellow or read so that it's easier to fall asleep.

00:07:21: i know you have adaptive like at home adjusts to that, I don't have that.

00:07:26: i just haven't outrageously blew light in the bathroom.

00:07:29: Didn't

00:07:29: I even give you a lamp like

00:07:31: once?

00:07:31: Yeah, it's not installed yet and i still have an incredibly bright light in my bathroom but my sleep is absolutely fine.

00:07:38: that why don't rely on it yet?

00:07:40: above all helps to wake up morning maybe also just because my sleep good

00:07:45: unbelievable exactly so we've already talked about daylight lamps which are something you can do very pleasant at evening.

00:07:55: In the morning, sunlight also has more of a blue component because it travels longer distance through atmosphere.

00:08:02: And in evening that tends to go towards red components depending on angle of sun.

00:08:09: That's definitely relevant for our circadian rhythm Because eyes actually re-register whether there is more blue or more red Or whatever... ...in the sunlight and thats why its so important that theres more blue in the morning Because then body realises hey its really morning now And that's definitely important to know.

00:08:28: Of course, you can also install a kind of natural daily rhythm in your apartment.

00:08:33: for that there are simply lamps that actually automatically set themselves bluer in the morning and redder two yellowish-yellow In The Evening right?

00:08:41: Really dim down like That.

00:08:42: Also the light intensity at the same time so adjusting Luxe & Kelvin over the day So To Speak and imitating this Daily Rhythm.

00:08:50: You Can Easily Order That Online.

00:08:52: But Those Are More Like Smart Home Devices That you can actually also control via your phone and adjust all of that.

00:08:58: Actually very cool.

00:08:59: I have that at home too, i really enjoy it but Of course It's also a gadget that just has to be fun right?

00:09:06: Otherwise there are also daylight alarm clocks Right which in the morning so it's basically A normal alarm clock that sits on Your nightstand And then In The Morning At The Set Time You Want To Wake Up It Just Gets Brighter And Brighter!

00:09:20: That Means You Already Have A Lot Of Lux very close to your face and can then be woken up by the light accordingly, not an acoustic tone or a melody that you might have set otherwise.

00:09:35: But I've actually never tried it either!

00:09:38: I could imagine working quite well for me because i'm relatively sensitive into a bright bedroom.

00:09:44: so if my room is bright than I wake There's

00:09:49: also that Yeah, exactly and they actually usually start getting brighter slowly beforehand right?

00:09:54: And then the really good ones.

00:09:55: They get really really bright Right, and that's of course exactly what you want.

00:09:58: so Actually a very intelligent solution.

00:10:01: But I've never had one myself either because yeah just Never got around to it.

00:10:06: to be honest maybe we should test it.

00:10:08: ya

00:10:08: all right Ya That's it for that.

00:10:11: What would still be very interested in is actually whether you ever used daylight lamp.

00:10:15: The days are getting shorter now and winter or autumn rather is just around the corner.

00:10:20: And accordingly it would be quite interesting to see if you're already using it, we were putting a poll live on Spotify... ...and I'd really like to know that from you!

00:10:29: Yeah.. If you have any other comments about what gadgets you might've tested out yourself then of course we'll be happy about them too.

00:10:37: Feel free to leave a comment Otherwise.

00:10:39: thanks Max.

00:10:40: Thanks for listening For watching.

00:10:42: See ya next time Bye

00:10:43: Thanks and bye.