09/10/2024
The Inner Clock: How Lynne Peeples' New Book Uncovers the Power of Our Circadian Rhythms.
Lynne Peeples spent 2 years writing her book "The Inner Clock". I met Lynne in October 2023 in Copenhagen.
The book takes the reader on a circadian journey, divided into three insightful parts: CLOCKS, BROKEN, and RESET.
Part 1: CLOCKS
In the first part, Lynne explains how each of our cells contains its own internal clock, with trillions of these clocks coordinated by the body’s master timekeeper—the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN) in our brain. As Lynne writes, “Your sleep, mood, appetite, immune response, s*x drive, and body temperature all wax and wane under the direction of your circadian rhythms” (p. 29). By understanding these rhythms, Lynne suggests that we can lead healthier, more balanced lives.
Part 2: BROKEN
Do you wake up to an alarm clock? If so, you are living out of sync with your circadian clock. Approximately 80 percent of students and workers in the U.S. and Europe are woken up by an alarm clock. Living out of sync with our circadian clocks not only disrupts our sleep, but also makes us more vulnerable to infections, cancer, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and mental illness (Russell Foster (2022): Life time).
Part 3: RESET.
Fortunately, I’m a part of RESET in the chapter “Goodbye, alarm clocks”.
Lynne writes: “After initially working a nine-to-five career, I gratefully found one that allows me to set my own hours. Kring thinks all workers should have that flexibility (p. 205).”
Yes, I’m working with companies to give their employees more freedom over their time so they can live more in sync with their inner clocks.
I am not the only one with this point of view. Till Roenneberg, a leading professor of chronobiology at LMU Munich, says: “If I want to have a perfect workforce, then I would tell them to come when they have woken up without an alarm.”
Lynne recommends following 3 circadian clock rules
1) Create a strong dark/light contrast: Spend at least 20 minutes outside in the morning and sleep in complete darkness.
2) Time-restricted eating: Avoid eating within three hours of going to bed.
3) Consistency is key: Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
I highly recommend The Inner Clock to anyone interested in health, peak performance, circadian medicine, or simply living a healthier, more fulfilling life. Lynne Peeples' insights will inspire you to rethink your routines and find new ways to live in sync with your body's natural rhythms.
