Day 4: Rhythm - Sync Your Internal Clock

TOGETHER WITH

Good Morning Sleep Warrior!

Okay, I'm dying to know – how was your first night in your newly optimized sleep cave?

Did you feel like you were in some kind of sensory deprivation chamber at first? That's totally normal. One person told me it felt like "sleeping in a tomb, but in a good way." 😂

But seriously, I hope you noticed even a small difference in how you felt getting into bed last night. Maybe you weren't scrolling your phone for an extra 20 minutes? Or perhaps you actually felt... sleepy... at bedtime?

Those are HUGE wins, by the way.

Today We're Getting Sciencey (But Fun Sciencey)

Alright, buckle up because today we're going to talk about something that sounds boring but is actually like having a superpower: circadian rhythm optimization.

Stay with me here – this isn't some wellness guru nonsense. This is legitimate, NASA-uses-this-stuff science.

Your Internal Clock is Drunk Right Now

Here's the deal: You have a tiny cluster of cells in your brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus. (Try saying that five times fast.) This little guy is your body's master clock, and his job is to tell every other system in your body when to be alert and when to shut down.

But here's the problem – modern life has made your master clock completely confused. It's like it's perpetually jet-lagged, stumbling around going "Is it morning? Evening? Should I make you sleepy or alert? I HAVE NO IDEA!"

Poor little guy needs help. And that help comes in the form of light.

Light is Medicine (No, Really)

Your ancestors woke up with the sun and went to sleep when it got dark. Revolutionary concept, right?

But we've created lives where we wake up in dim indoor lighting, spend our days under artificial lights, then blast our faces with blue light from screens right before trying to sleep.

It's like giving your internal clock mixed signals all day long, then wondering why it doesn't work properly.

The Morning Light Prescription

Here's what we're doing today, and it's going to feel almost stupidly simple:

Within 15 minutes of waking (at your consistent wake time, because you're crushing that habit now), get yourself some serious light exposure:

If it's sunny:

• 10-15 minutes outside, no sunglasses

• Walk around your yard, sit on your porch, whatever

• Let that light hit your eyeballs directly (but don't stare at the sun – I'm not trying to blind you)

If it's cloudy:

• 20-30 minutes outside

• Yes, even if it's overcast – you're getting more light than you think

If it's dark/winter/you're trapped inside:

• Park yourself by the biggest window you have for 30+ minutes

• Or get a bright lamp and sit close to it while you drink your (perfectly timed) coffee

Pro tip: Combine this with gentle movement. Walk around while you get your light. Your body will thank you twice.

The Evening Light Diet

This is where most people mess up everything they've built during the day.

Starting 3 hours before your target bedtime, we're going on a "light diet":

3 hours before bed: Dim your house lights to about 50%. Think "cozy restaurant," not "operating room."

2 hours before bed: Switch to warm-colored lights only. Table lamps, not overhead lighting. If you absolutely must use a screen, wear blue-light blocking glasses (or just... don't).

1 hour before bed: You're basically living by candlelight now. Use red light or very dim warm light only if you need to see something.

What This Actually Feels Like

Morning: You might be surprised by how alert you feel after just 10-15 minutes of bright light. It's like someone turned up the contrast on your entire day.

Evening: As you dim the lights, you should start feeling a gentle, natural sleepiness creeping in. Not the "crashed into a wall" exhaustion you might be used to, but actual, pleasant drowsiness.

Bedtime: For the first time in possibly years, you might find yourself naturally yawning as you get into bed.

Your Day 4 Mission

✅ Get bright light within 15 minutes of waking (no sunglasses!)
✅ Combine light exposure with gentle movement for bonus points
✅ Start dimming lights 3 hours before bedtime
✅ Go full "candlelight mode" in your final hour
✅ Continue your wind-down routine from Day 3
✅ Track how alert you feel after morning light (1-10)
✅ Notice your natural sleepiness level at bedtime (1-10)

A Little Encouragement

I know this might feel like a lot of micromanaging just to fall asleep. Maybe you're thinking "I just want to collapse into bed and be unconscious, is that too much to ask?"

I hear you. I really do.

But here's what I wish someone had told me years ago when I was struggling with sleep: You're not just trying to fall asleep. You're trying to wake up as the best version of yourself every single day.

And that requires a little bit of intentionality around something you do every single night anyway.

Why This Works (The Nerdy Explanation)

Light exposure in the morning tells your brain "THIS is when we're awake and alert."

Dimming lights in the evening tells your brain "Time to start making melatonin and getting sleepy."

It's like giving your internal clock a daily reset signal instead of leaving it to guess what time it is.

The result? You start waking up naturally refreshed instead of feeling like you got hit by a truck. Your energy becomes steady throughout the day instead of riding the caffeine rollercoaster.

Tomorrow is Going to Be Special

Day 5 is when we put it all together and you graduate from "person with sleep problems" to "person who has optimized their sleep for peak performance."

But first, we need to get your light exposure dialed in.

One More Thing...

If you're reading this and thinking "This person really cares about my sleep," you're absolutely right. I've seen what happens when people finally crack the code on quality sleep, and it's honestly one of my favorite things to witness.

Better sleep creates better everything else. Better decisions, better relationships, better work, better mood. It's like upgrading the operating system for your entire life.

So yes, I care about whether you're getting proper light exposure. Because I care about you showing up as your best self tomorrow.

Sweet dreams are coming,

Bolaji
The OxyMind

P.S. – Take a selfie during your morning light exposure tomorrow. Not for social media, just for you. I want you to remember what it looks like to prioritize your own wellbeing. You might be surprised by how good that feels.