How to make your body clock work for you

[@sophie4636]

What a delightful and eloquent gentleman the Prof is. A highly enjoyable and informative episode ✨️

[@zeezsleep415]

Very interesting. Russell Foster is so clear, and such a nice man too. As a society, we are woefully ignorant of the effects of light, and timing of food, on our sleep. It seems to me that acting in conflict with our circadian clocks is a major way in which we screw up our sleep. Natural hormone reduction (in menopause) also has a massive effect on our sleep. Sleep hygiene can help, but not always. Anti depressants may be prescribed to address the depression that can ensue but aren't an appropriate remedy: we need our rhythm back.

[@gregmatthewsuk]

Really informative podcast. I’m so pleased that there’s increasingly more information on the importance of the body clock. But I was surprised the subject of ‘circadian rhythm disorders’ wasn’t really mentioned. As someone with Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder (in my case a chronic 4-5 hour shift in my circadian rhythm) I’m always looking for more information and trying to raise awareness of such conditions. I fought for decades against the label of just being ‘lazy’ because I was effectively cognitively impaired in the morning and unable to sleep until very late at night (3-4am). I eventually became self-employed so that I could better regulate my life in accordance with my delayed sleep-wake phase instead of fighting it to fit into societal norms. But I still have to put up with doubt, or sometimes ridicule, from others who refuse to believe that my condition is even real. Would love to hear more on disorders like this in a future podcast.

[@fionadavies18]

Yes, it's not healthy to try to change your natural rhythm.

[@gb2309]

Brilliant podcast. I look forward to hearing more about our circadian rhythm soon, I hope. Thank you Jonathan.

[@helenkidd5628]

I am an 93 year old lady in pretty good health recently l had a vascular test the doctor said l have very good circulation However l,have this tired leg syndrome Physio does not help They don’t seem to know how to help this problem. Hk.

[@helenkidd5628]

Any ideas Or solutions to,this problem l have tried yoga. No difference hk

[@malikshabazz7596]

Your guest spoke sense, we are not all the same, my mother never liked getting up early since she was a girl going to school. In her working life she worked for the post office. The shift she opted to do for longest period of time to her retirement, was the 14:00-22:00 shift. So no early rising she is still alive 93 last month.

[@susydyson1750]

In am earky bird that Sleeps early despite waking am able to return to sleep . I never take a siesta and I’m 72 now and prefer to go out to lunch and stay home late afternoon.. fascinating talk on our circadian systems

[@Gonergrat]

Wow, please invite him back. He had vital information to share.

[@jacquelinewhittaker4651]

Very watchable. Such a talented pair of communicators!

[@sylviemacle7974]

I was really interested to hear about why looking at a screen late at night is not an issue... and you skipped this topic altogether.... eeek... So, YES, we do need a follow-up podcast, please. The rest I was already quite aware of from various other podcasts... but this nugget went 'against the flow of thinking' so to speak... hence I was extra interested in that topic.

[@marilynmunro5838]

This is a really important subject explained with complete clarity.

[@marionwood3131]

Thank you for all that information and covering the topic so well. I look forward to hearing about medication and our body clock. Slow release drugs in particular.

[@soniamelendez4872]

Thanks FYI. More power & God Bless🙏

[@davidtsw]

This tells me that I need to offset the glucose in the afternoon/evening meals more, so ACV before eating, fiber first, then protein and fats, not too much carbs and not those that are high in glycemic index, and a walk after a meal.

[@petermentore3168]

Very educational and instruction indeed

[@moyafleming377]

Great podcast, very interesting! I'll be making some changes as a result. Thanks

[@lord-lala]

The quickfire questions were interesting but I didn't hear them elaborated on. Particularly the idea that looking at screens is harmful and that you shouldn't let teens sleep in. They both seem contrary to what I've read elsewhere so I'd love to hear more.

[@tamar5261]

I worked every kind of shift work for 26 years. I could never sleep more than 4 hours. I was constantly jet lagged. Now I have been day working for 20 years, guess what, I wake up after 4 hours and have terrible trouble getting back to sleep. Winter seems worse

[@jennywren8937]

I have always been accustomed to burning the candle at both ends, and always been very active. Stress would always fatigue me, so best avoided. Nap after lunch if possible is a great reviver and lingering in bed would give me headache. Going to bed worrying about 8 hours would probably be counter productive but reading is a good wind down until my eyelids feel heavy.

[@annacheshire1392]

Really interesting, I'd have liked some more practical info on improving our sleep/circadian rhythm tho.

[@Helen-gq7cq]

Excellent podcast. Thank you. Such an interesting guy. Many people have sleep disruption. Mine is to visit the loo always 3 sometimes 5 times a night. Then as others have said not getting back to sleep. There was no mention of the stages of sleep REM etc. and the effect of constant broken sleep. Maybe not getting that stage of sleep. Definitely get him back for another podcast. Thanks.

[@stevegee7593]

2 of my uncles both worked for the press in Fleet Street at nights. Both died from stomach cancer.

[@lindagrigg7342]

I found this very interesting,thank you .

[@ceciliaferraro6360]

The best podcast .thank you thank you.

[@johnnyw525]

When you’re in hospital you’re woken up every few hours to have your vitals checked!

[@odetbeauvoisin]

Entrancing presentation…. I would love to hear more from you both.

[@catobie1948]

What about seasonal light changes. It's dark in the morning and dark in early evening. Light til 10 pm in the summer sun at 5am. Do people in Alaska have a problem ?

[@alicequayle4625]

Midsummer madness.

[@ritawilliams8508]

Excellent. Very informative. Now I know why I hate middle of the night or early morning flights which I won't do any more and big meals in the evening, even though I am more of a night owl.

[@controversialrebel5639]

Your guest missed out people who like to go to bed late and get up early, I happen to be one of them. In the main, I live on an average of 4 hours sleep a night and have done so for much of my life. And on the subject of SCN, I have always been able to know what time it is when I wake up, within 10 minutes either way. Likewise, I can wake myself up at any given time, (again within a few minutes either way). For most of the day (or night), I know what time it is regardless of where I am or what I'm doing.

[@jennywren8937]

Same here. No point lingering in bed.

[@controversialrebel5639]

@@jennywren8937 I totally agree with just one caveat.... depends who's in bed with you lol

[@hilarythorn3484]

That's me also!

[@caroneast]

As someone who has to do night shifts this was very depressing.

[@KzLollapalooza]

Thank you for the quality interview

[@SueCrerar]

In which we start with the promise of intriguing information and never get around to discussing the details... 😢

[@helenkidd5628]

I have learned a lot by listening to this pod cast Thank you. Hk what is the name of the book Got,it Russel Foster

[@gdgisa2884]

Agree with him in everything apart what he says about new borns and babies. I think babies needs need to be fulfilled every time if we want to have well settled and developed children and adults. Babies can't fulfill their needs they depend on others to do it for them until they can do it. If they wake for comfort then this is what they need. If they grow up with a deep seated feeling that their needs are never fulfilled then we have unwanted consequences later on.

[@Skylark_Jones]

Further into the interview especially at the point where he creates even more anxiety in people struggling with sleep by emphasising all the health problems that could accrue for night shift workers if they're sleep deprived, this expert seems to have forgotten the thing he said at the beginning: we're not all the same and there is such a thing as larks and night owls.

[@SueCrerar]

We do need more info about that!

[@annechurch5087]

This video was very interesting. One question I have wasn't really mentioned but I'd like to know is whether as you get older do you need less sleep, even with quite a busy and active lifestyle. I mostly get to bed before 11 pm but very often I'm awake by 5 am and cannot get back to sleep. Is this enough sleep? I'm nearly 80 and female.

[@RSLtreecare]

Very interesting. I feel much better if I get to sleep early. I wake up around 06. without an struggle, but the once I start working or stay up late by the end of a week. I feel terribly slow, tired.

[@irenestead1970]

It's interesting to hear that. It sounds like you have managed to match your sleep pattern to your circadian rhythm very well

[@ChristineLacy1]

I was hoping to hear something about the idea that adolescents need to sleep late. Have there been recent studies on this?

[@gerriellis5743]

This is well covered in the book, Why we sleep by Matthew Walker. He is in favour of school start being put back for adolescents due to the importance he places on the extra sleep they need.

[@TheKiteman99]

What effect does the lack of light have on submariners who also work on round the clock shifts for weeks at a time?

[@helenkillick5997]

Which medication is better taken at night? And any advice on Nocturia which disturbs sleep up to 3 times a night.

[@Dystopix]

I don't have a body clock and never have. and honestly, I'm very envious of those of you who have.

[@smileygirl1742]

I don’t understand why you can’t carry on until the questions are answered! Why cut off just because it’s been 30 or 40 mins! You never went into about blue light at night. This is just confusing to me because you had Dave Asprey on and he said about the blue light blocking glasses!

[@jenniferaho1169]

Wow, very interesting.

[@brianfretwell3886]

Working in telecoms I did rota shift work days, evenings and nights - no more than 4 nights running. I went into extended day mode getting and staying up later and later when on evenings moving into nights and staying up until early evening when coming off of nights. That seemed to suit me.

[@jenniferg1188]

Fascinating stuff

[@EL-gu8fv]

I'm presently visiting another time zone and between this and having a cat at home, I tend to sleep in two stages- the bit when the cat sleeps the early part of the night, then the 4.30 am feed, then sleep again from 5am till eight. Weird.

[@poolfield2]

Will photochromic lenses damage my circadian rhythm?

[@kencarey3477]

Can you recover from the damage after retirement?

[@juditholivier5812]

Is there anything that can help stop me waking at 4.00 most mornings. Wide awake, still tired, occasionally doze off but generally go straight into worry mode. Also I’m tired by 9 in the evening! I’m 70, fit, healthy and active - gardening, walking every day 5/6 miles.

[@suziquestionable2845]

Judith , you think you have problems l only sleep 3 or 4 hours a night, and am exhausted at 6.00 pm, dinner was at 5.00 p.m. l watch a little tv, my afternoon is walking outside along a walking trail, so l get enough exercise, but sleep is still a problem. Hope you find an answer to your sleep problem. It's minor compared to mine, l think. Good luck, Judith.

[@suziquestionable2845]

By the way, l am 82., Judith.

[@SomeoneBeginingWithI]

It sounds like your body wants to go to sleep at 9pm and wake up at 4am, which would be 8 hours of sleep. That could just be your natural pattern and you might feel better if you go with that, although it can be difficult socially with a lot of social events being in the evenings.

[@deebee8290]

fascinating- though he might need to speak to Tim re breakfasts!!!

[@fionadavies18]

My autistic son has non-24 which disrupts my pattern as his shifts. I don't and can't have a regular pattern because after staying up to feed him etc I need to also wake early for my other autistic son. I need to be healthy to be around for them both.

[@alicequayle4625]

Would trying to use bright light in the mornings help I wonder? To help set the cycle? And amber / red lights in the evening? Of course you may have tried this already.

[@fionadavies18]

@@alicequayle4625 yes all tried. It knocked him from delayed to non-24.

[@alicequayle4625]

@@fionadavies18 sorry to hear that.

[@Daytona2]

Superb insight and communication, thanks Russell & Jonathan. I thought I was well informed but was unaware of some of the more extreme health effects, which are absolutely shocking and beg the question should the government take action and either ban night shift work or make employers pay for the health degradation and a punitive sum on top of that. (my uncle nearly killed someone when he momentarily fell asleep at the wheel of his truck at sunrise)

[@amaracardamine3837]

There are some who obliged to work at night, like medical staff r instance.

[@HeatherJRedhead]

How can night shifts be banned?

[@amaracardamine3837]

@@HeatherJRedhead They can't. And banning would be a draconian step.

[@SomeoneBeginingWithI]

I really don't think it would be practical/possible to ban night shift work. There is essentail work which has to be done at night, including medical care. They could however penalise companies like Amazon who have a night shift in order to achieve next day deliveries which we could live without.

[@alicequayle4625]

I'd like to see night shifts have to be paid a much higher wage to make employers think twice about it.

[@barriesmith3489]

Iv lived in the south of the equator and north and stay a morning person my wife the same from the south and a night person I’m from the north

[@jazsmart6394]

What about sleeping during siesta?

[@vister6757]

I'm a night owl. It has been so long since I was young. I hate waking up early.

[@Nushka23]

Has Martin Lewis been cloned?

[@ivandansigmun3891]

why are you called ZOE?

[@melaniehodgson4093]

It means “life” in Greek

[@johnnyw525]

Very interesting, but allow me to shout “bullshit” at the idea that natural sleep patterns need to be “corrected” (re: teenagers)

[@ChristineLacy1]

I was hoping to hear something about the idea that adolescents need to sleep late.

[@fionadavies18]

Trying to change the natural rhythm is known to be dangerous. I've also read that work/school times commence too early for most.

[@danalexander186]

Good podcast.. but the vaccine comment without pointing out the lies made me wonder.. otherwise great info.

[@duncanicook]

Are you reading that end bit?!? 😀

[@Disirablepossessions]

I have sleep apnoea, Every night I have interrupted sleep

[@kathy4180]

Coming off medication has destroyed any sleep signals.

[@clairespace3371]

Ah you interrupted again to say you never knew that !! Could you maybe have a look at how you interview. ... what did that astronomer find when he opened the cupboard. Best way is to look inside yourself and ask yourself what emotions prompt you to interrupt for yourself rather than for the listener for whom you're presumably making this pod cast. Just to reassure your we do not forget you are running the podcast when your guest talks. If you catch yourself interrupting, then perhaps you could apologise for interrupting and ask them to go back to the point they were making?

[@barriesmith3489]

Can the Zoe app be made more simple for us dummy’s I find it complicated

[@sharinaross1865]

Hmmm. A Reference to divorce, working night shift and women in USA.

[@thebionicbroad1]

"Vaccine" efficacy is questionable, at best, regardless of circadian rhythm disruption or no.

[@timtreefrog9646]

Efficacy figures are the results when a medication is delivered by expert hands and in ideal conditions. I think you may be commenting on ‘effectiveness’, not efficacy here? The effectiveness of a medication declines when; it is administered in less than ideal conditions, is administered by those who are not experts, & with co occurring external (or patient) factors at play.