I heard about this one on a Dr.’s Farmacy podcast. Basically, as Dr. Hyman explains it, spending time outside, especially in the morning, helps our body’s circadian rhythm set itself to the sunrise/sunset patterns of the day. This way, when its dark outside your body is better signaled to know bedtime will be coming soon. After hearing this one, I’ve made it a priority to spend time with my morning coffee outside, or when that’s not possible, eat lunch on my back deck or at an outdoor restaurant. It’s pretty simple. The key is to spend at least some part of that time with your eyes closed and face toward the sun. It’s a great time to practice your centering breath exercises, too. After adding this small step to my daily routine, I find the time between laying my head on the pillow and actually being asleep is much shorter.
