Branislav Nikolic wakes up every morning at 7 a.m., energized and ready to greet the day, no alarm clock required.
At night, instead of doom-scrolling until 2 a.m., he’s peacefully asleep by 11:30 p.m.
It’s been his routine for the past decade, thanks to his fascination with circadian rhythm, the body’s internal clocks that regulate energy and appetite.
“If you have good circadian health, ultimately you’ll have a healthier, happier, and longer life,” Nikolic, an entrepreneur and CEO of wearable health tech brand AYO, told Business Insider.
Science backs this up, suggesting that good circadian health helps to boost longevity, improve mood, and potentially fend off chronic illnesses like heart disease and cognitive decline as you age.
To become a morning person and stop hitting the snooze button, he made a few simple changes to his routine, from getting more sunlight to cutting back on nighttime snacking.
Get 30 minutes of natural light during the day
Nikolic wasn’t always a morning person. As a graduate student, he struggled with low energy and difficulty waking up. That’s in part because the climate in the Netherlands, where he was studying, is cloudy compared to his hometown in sunny Belgrade, Serbia.
He said that using light therapy devices helped his body adjust to the lack of sun and stay on schedule. But you don’t need to go high-tech or spend hours outside to hack your health with light.
Opening your curtains and sitting near a window to get morning sunshine can be a big help without disrupting your normal routine, Nikolic said. If you can walk the dog in the morning or stroll in the sun while you sip your coffee, that’s a big plus.
And if you’re hitting an afternoon slump, try to head outside for a quick walk. Aim for about half an hour of natural light daily at least.
“You’d be surprised that many times people don’t even get 30 minutes a day,” he said.
Know your chronotype
Understanding your chronotype — the default setting on your internal clock — can make it easier to optimize your routine.
When your body is on a different schedule than your workday, you can end up hitting an afternoon slump or struggling to keep your eyes open during morning meetings, research suggests.
The trick, experts say, is to make sure your internal clock gets the memo about your daily routine, so you’re alert when you need to be and relaxed when it’s time to sleep.
“It is really about having your circadian rhythm and your lifestyle in sync,” Nikolic said.
For instance, if you’re a night person who needs to work in the morning, energy-boosting sunlight or early morning walks can help reset your internal clock, Nikolic said.
Keep a consistent bedtime with less light
It might seem like obvious advice, but training your body to wind down around the same time every night is crucial for a healthy circadian rhythm. Some studies suggest that having a consistent sleep schedule is just as important as getting enough hours of sleep.
The challenge is that blue light from screens can prompt your brain to stay alert, even if you’re relaxing with “The Great British Baking Show” instead of checking emails.
If you can’t banish all electronics from your bedtime routine, Nikolic recommends at least turning down the light or using dark mode whenever possible.
“Try to have a very different light environment two hours before sleep than you had for the rest of the day. So that would be dim in comparison,” he said.
Avoid late-night snacking
If your evening routine involves raiding the fridge, you might find it harder to sleep well and feel rested. Eating a late meal cues your body that it’s time to digest, instead of preparing you for rest with processes like releasing the sleep hormone melatonin.
Nikolic closes his kitchen about two hours prior to falling asleep, which aligns with evidence-backed studies on circadian health and metabolism.
Use the weekend to check your internal clock
To start breaking up with your alarm clock, wait for a day you don’t have a 9 a.m. meeting.
That makes weekends a perfect opportunity to sleep in (for science!) and assess what time your internal clock gets you out of bed.
“Ditch the alarm clock and let your body wake up naturally,” Nikolic said.
The caveat is that for best results, you shouldn’t change the rest of your routine — no late-night TV or partying just because it’s the weekend.
Over time, as you dial in your circadian rhythm, try to get your natural weekend wake-up time closer and closer to your typical weekday schedule.
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