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BITESIZE | Do This Every Morning to Optimise Your Health, Boost Your Mood and Improve Your Sleep | Professor Russell Foster #488

Oct 24, 2024 16m 57s 8 insights
Today's guest shares some of the latest research on using circadian science to optimise our sleep and transform our health.   Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my weekly podcast for your mind, body, and heart. Each week I’ll be featuring inspirational stories and practical tips from some of my former guests.   Today’s clip is from episode 424 of the podcast Russell Foster, a Professor of Circadian Neuroscience at Oxford University.   Modern life has seen us push into the night, staying up later and extending our social and work lives around the clock.   In this clip, Russell shares why getting the right light at the right times can optimise our health, boost our mood and improve our sleep.   Thanks to our sponsor https://www.drinkag1.com/livemore Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/feelbetterlivemore. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com. Show notes and the full podcast are available at https://drchatterjee.com/424
Actionable Insights

1. Prioritize Morning Light Exposure

Expose yourself to light, ideally natural light outside, as close to your wake-up time as possible to advance your internal body clock and align it with the 24-hour day, which is crucial since most body clocks are slightly longer than 24 hours.

2. Use Light Box for Morning

If natural morning light is scarce (e.g., in winter or early mornings), use a light box set to 2,000-10,000 lux for 30 minutes during breakfast to help set your internal clock and combat seasonal or non-seasonal depression.

3. Maximize Daytime Light Exposure

Aim for 500 lux or more of light exposure for four to five hours during the day, as this cumulative exposure can mitigate and insulate you from the negative impacts of dim light in the evening.

4. Avoid Devices Before Bed

Ideally, avoid using devices for 30 minutes to an hour before bedtime to prevent their alerting effect on the brain and to reduce the synergistic alerting effects from activities like social media or emails.

5. Wind Down Before Sleep

Focus on relaxing and winding down before transitioning into sleep, as this process can make sleep easier by addressing underlying anxiety or sleep issues.

6. Daily AG1 for Gut Health

Consider incorporating AG1 into your daily routine to support digestion and enrich your gut microbiome, as it contains five strains of gut bacteria and plant-based compounds.

7. Share & Subscribe to Podcast

Spread positivity by sharing this podcast episode with friends and family, and make sure to subscribe to the podcast for future content.

8. Sign Up for Friday Five

Sign up for the free “Friday Five” email at drchatterjee.com/FridayFive for weekly positivity, articles, books, quotes, and research not shared on social media.