Circadian health: Dr. Samer Hattar explains how light exposure affects your sleep, digestion, and exercise
Jun 29, 2022
43:10
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Quick takeaways
Proper morning light exposure enhances mood, cognitive function, and energy levels.
Aligning our circadian clocks with the light-dark cycle and avoiding disruptive behaviors is crucial for optimizing overall health.
Deep dives
The Impact of Light Exposure on Circadian Rhythm
Light exposure has a significant impact on our circadian rhythm and overall performance levels. Doctor Samer Hattar, an expert in non-image forming photo reception, discusses the consequences of viewing light at the wrong time and emphasizes the importance of light exposure in the morning. He highlights how light exposure affects mood, behavior, cognitive ability, and even synchronizing meal timing with our internal clocks. Understanding the connection between light and our circadian rhythm is crucial for optimizing our overall health.
The Importance of Foundation for Human Health
Doctor Hattar introduces the concept of foundation in relation to human health. He compares it to building a house, explaining that if the foundation is misaligned or suboptimal, various issues can arise. He emphasizes the significance of aligning our circadian clocks with the light-dark cycle and avoiding behaviors that disrupt our natural rhythms. By prioritizing a solid foundation, including proper light exposure, sleep, and meal timing, we can enhance our overall health and performance.
The Impact of Light on Sleep, Mood, and Energy Levels
Doctor Hattar highlights the detrimental effects of viewing light at the wrong time, particularly at night, on our sleep, mood, and energy levels. He explains that exposure to bright light during the wrong phase of our circadian rhythm can disrupt sleep, hinder cognitive abilities, and negatively impact physiological functions. Conversely, he emphasizes the benefits of morning light exposure, which can enhance mood, cognitive function, and overall energy levels.
The Relationship Between Light, Food, and Sleep
Doctor Hattar discusses the complex relationship between light, food, and sleep. He explains how different components of our body, including digestive enzymes, have their own daily rhythm that aligns with the light-dark cycle. Eating at the right time of the day has significant physiological benefits, influencing factors such as appetite, metabolism, and circadian alignment. Timed eating windows, along with light hygiene and synchronization with our internal clocks, can play a crucial role in optimizing our health and well-being.
On this week’s episode we take an in-depth look at the science behind your circadian rhythm and how light exposure affects your body. WHOOP VP of Performance Kristen Holmes sits down with Dr. Samer Hattar, a world-renowned expert in the field of circadian health, who is credited with discovering neurons in the eye that set our circadian clocks and regulate mood and appetite. Dr. Hattar explains the light-dark cycle and the circadian clock (3:44), the consequences of viewing light at the wrong time (6:34), the importance of light exposure in the morning (12:44), viewing light during the day and blue-light blockers (15:35), what happens when we are exposed to light at night (16:55), circadian health and digestion (19:37), eating windows and meal timing (25:07), exercise routines (28:46), new WHOOP Journal additions on circadian health (34:25), time zones and shifting your circadian rhythm (36:37), and your body's temperature minimum (40:15).