Shift Your Bedtime With Circadian Science

If a constant lack of energy and inability to focus is giving you the suspicion that you’re not getting enough sleep, you’re far from alone. According to the Sleep Foundation, nearly half of Americans say they feel tired during the day between three and seven days per week, and 35.2% of Americans say they sleep less than the minimum seven recommended hours per night.

And even when you want to sleep, getting quality shut-eye isn’t always easy to come by: Between 10 and 30% of adults suffer from chronic insomnia. These stats are discouraging, especially considering that sleep is crucial for everything from mental health to physical recovery.

Believe it or not, getting higher-quality sleep may be as simple as shifting your bedtime a bit. Some of us are naturally early birds, others are night owls, while still others fall somewhere in between. You can blame whatever camp you fall into on your circadian rhythm or the natural process that regulates our sleep and wake cycles.

While work and home demands don’t always mean we can follow our natural circadian rhythm to a tee, figuring out what an ideal bedtime looks like for your body can go a long way. Here’s how to get started.