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Windows of Rest for Sleeping and Eating - The Apeiron Life Perspective

5 min read


What it is:

Including breaks in our health routine isn't always emphasized when striving toward our goals. However, to avoid exhaustion, we can focus on creating rest windows. Whether you focus on sleep or food, creating time slots for rejuvenation and recuperation will allow you to focus energy where it counts.


One approach you might try is a 10-by-10 rule that involves:

  • 10 hours of sleep routine and opportunity

  • And a 10-hour time frame for eating


Building rest habits is more obtainable during the holidays when you feel that time is more abundant, but any time you're ready is ideal to begin.



The purported claims:

  • Strengthens circadian rhythms

  • Promotes better sleep and daytime performance

  • Supports a healthy gut microbiome

  • Reduces inflammation

  • Prevents insulin resistance, weight gain, and cardiovascular disease


What the science says:

Combining self-care and sleep can allow you time to unwind and gain precious sleep hours. Allowing your mind the opportunity to prepare for sleep by incorporating repetitive practices can cue sleep recognition. You can make a simple routine and practice it during the holidays to lay out the foundation for a habit in the new year. For example, begin by lighting candles, taking a soothing bath, reading a book in bed, and finally listening to a timed podcast as you fall asleep. This preparation can be part of your sleep routine.


Another time frame you can incorporate is a timed eating window. This may be difficult when involved in celebrations with family and friends, so only attempt it if you feel it is an addition to your lifestyle and not an added burden.


Almost every cell within the human body contains clock genes that dictate when those cells are active and when they are quiescent. While these cells go about their business on a cycle that is approximately 24 hours long, they require input from the brain to keep them all synchronized. In other words, the brain ensures that all of our organs know when it is daytime versus nighttime, and it does this using ambient light cues entering the eye and signaling to the hypothalamus via the retina.


A strong, intact circadian rhythm promotes daytime alertness and drowsiness at night. There is a lot of talk in the health space these days about the importance of morning light exposure, and this is because it not only promotes vitality and wakefulness, but also sleep at an appropriate time in the evening. Too much time indoors and exposure to artificial light at night can cause our circadian rhythm to become desynchronized. This results in daytime sleepiness, poor mood, and sleep problems.


While light is the most potent conductor of our internal orchestra of clocks, eating behavior also contributes significantly. Some studies have shown that consistent meal times can effectively keep our bodies synchronized in the absence of light. Condensing our eating window to a period of about eight to 10 hours per day can be a powerful way to promote better mind and body health.


Some studies show our bodies better process the carbohydrates in our food during the first part of the day. Most people absorb glucose from their bloodstream into their cells more quickly in the morning than at night. Shifting eating behavior more in favor of daytime rather than nighttime has notable benefits.



Sleep and circadian rhythms

While eating too close to bedtime can cause health issues such as indigestion, more severe illnesses such as cardiovascular disease may be assisted by time-restricted feeding. One theory is that reducing the time frame of food can improve sleep and inflammation issues.


A recent review of nine studies that specifically looked at time-restricted eating and sleep found mixed results. Some participants reported improved sleep after limiting eating to a shorter window, while others reported no difference. One of the significant limitations of these studies is that many participants were already getting sufficient sleep (7+ hours). Given that short sleep is associated with worse health, it may be that the sleep benefits may have been greater in a different population. Therefore incorporating the lifestyle habits that are best for you is crucial.


Healthy sleep depends upon the interplay of two dynamic processes: sleep pressure, which builds up the longer a person is awake during the day, and the circadian rhythm. Eating a large meal too close to bedtime can disrupt sleep by ramping up our metabolism, but it has been shown that those who eat at night might also be promoting a desynchronized circadian clock. This can lead to daytime sleepiness and nighttime wakefulness, leaving individuals with a sense of never feeling well-rested, not to mention a whole host of health problems.


Studies have shown that food intake directly modifies the genes responsible for maintaining our circadian rhythms in fat tissue. This is important, given that fat tissue is a dynamic endocrine organ that releases various hormones.


Inflammation

The immune system is dynamic and intimately involved in everything that goes on in the body. When we exercise and cause minor (but tolerable) damage, immune cells rush to the site of repair. In acute bursts, this is manageable, but excessive time awake at night, as well as eating around the clock may trigger chronic, systemic inflammation that typically precedes auto-immune disorders, type II diabetes, and even cancer.


In a study of elite athletes, those who ate within an eight-hour window improved body composition, power, and performance while reducing inflammation. Exercise results in an acute increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines (chemical messengers) including interleukins 6 and 1-beta (IL-6 and IL-1β, respectively) as well as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). These come to the rescue in repairing damage before returning to baseline levels and being replaced by a suite of anti-inflammatory compounds. While these benefits occur regardless of eating window length, the effects are more robust when there is sufficient time for overnight fasting.


Time-restricted eating also reduces inflammation in those with high-stress jobs. A study including firefighters showed that a 10-hour eating window reduced the stress hormone cortisol, as well as overall inflammation. This may be one of the ways of lowering the risk of cardiovascular diseases commonly elevated in those who work high-stress jobs.



Our take:

Adopting the 10-by-10 idea may benefit your health this holiday, and if you feel it’s doable, give it a try! So remember it’s 10 hours of sleep routine and a 10-hour time frame for eating.


While it’s essential to be mindful of when you sleep and eat, don’t focus too closely on new habits and enjoy the time with your loved ones.



Will this benefit you?

Fasting might not be for everyone, and it’s critical always to follow the guidance of your physician if you have a health condition that requires eating little and often.


While it certainly isn’t for everyone, if you feel it might be helpful and you like tracking your diet and fitness, check out mycircadianclock.org. This app was created by one of the world’s leading experts in time restricted feeding and circadian rhythms, Dr. Satchin Panda. Designed to better understand circadian health, participation in this app contributes to scientific research.


If you’re still curious to try it, here’s what to look out for:

If you are interested in practicing time-restricted eating beyond the holiday period and don’t know where to begin, start by shifting your window half an hour at a time until you narrow it to your target. Ten hours is achievable for most people, but you can shorten this to eight hours if you prefer.


If you try shortening the window too quickly, you may struggle with uncomfortable hunger pangs that can leave you irritable.


Studies have also shown fasting may be detrimental to female hormone production, so consult your physician before attempting any new habits.


References and additional materials:

Studies and Review Articles

Metabolism of night shift workers: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25404342/

Fasting and circadian rhythms: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27304506/

Time restricted eating and weight loss: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26411343/

Meal timing and glucose vs fat rhythms: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28578930/

Time restricted feeding and immunity: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36405720/

Short Chain Fatty Acids: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2020.00025/full

Time restricted feeding and microbiome: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32540674/

Ghrelin and eating patterns: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18187517/


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