Ever woken up exactly one minute before your alarm? Or landed on the other side of the world with a very accurate sense of what time it is back home? Our bodies have fine-tuned internal clocks that set the pace for our circadian rhythm. But why did we evolve to work like this? And what happens to our health when we’re out of sync?This week, as a follow up from our conversation with Kathryn Pinkham, Greg and Charlie sit down with Dr. Russell Foster, for a crash course on circadian biology. Russell is a Professor of Circadian Neuroscience at the U...
Ever woken up exactly one minute before your alarm? Or landed on the other side of the world with a very accurate sense of what time it is back home? Our bodies have fine-tuned internal clocks that set the pace for our circadian rhythm. But why did we evolve to work like this? And what happens to our health when we’re out of sync?
This week, as a follow up from our conversation with Kathryn Pinkham, Greg and Charlie sit down with Dr. Russell Foster, for a crash course on circadian biology.
Russell is a Professor of Circadian Neuroscience at the University of Oxford, Head of the Department of Ophthalmology, and a leading voice on how our internal clocks work. Russell was instrumental in discovering a previously unknown light-sensing system in the eye that helps regulate our circadian rhythms. He is also the author of Life Time: The New Science of the Body Clock.
In our science section, Russell explains what the biological clock is and why we evolved to have one. He walks us through how our clocks are reset each day by time cues - and why light is chief amongst them. Russell also discusses the concept of chronotypes: why some of us are larks while others are owls, and why that difference is biological, not simply a lifestyle choice. We also delve into why our modern environments can put us out of sync.
In the practice segment, Russell, Greg, and Charlie get into what we can do to readjust our clocks, or better work with our natural day-night rhythm. We talk about:
- What night owls can actually do when they’re forced into a 9-5 world - and how light and exercise can help (22:06)
- Why seeking bright light the moment you wake up is not a good tip for early birds (24:30)
- What shift workers can do to support their clocks despite inconsistent schedules (26:19)
Finally, we turn to your listener questions in the experience section. Russell shares his own technique for falling back asleep in the middle of the night (a hint: it involves BBC Radio 4), explains why sleep tends to get harder as we age and whether that’s reversible. Charlie and Russell also get into a healthy debate about whether snoring partners should be banished to the spare room, and we take a deep dive into delayed sleep phase disorder, which involves answering Greg’s life conundrums – but not just.
Ultimately, Russell shows us that when it comes to our sleep-wake cycle, different isn't necessarily bad. Tune in to find out what your biological clock is trying to tell you.
If you’d like to send us your health questions for future episodes, remember to email us a voice note or write in at themethod@thriva.co.
Links:
- Russell Foster - Life Time: The New Science of the Body Clock
- Russell Foster - University of Oxford profile
- Greg Potter - Website
- Greg Potter - Instagram
- Thriva - Website
About Thriva:
Thriva is a proactive health platform built for the modern age. The promise of longevity often comes with years spent in poor health. We want to bridge the gap between lifespan – how long we’re living – and healthspan – how well we’re living. We combine powerful at-home blood testing with wearable insights and expert guidance. So you can know exactly what’s going on inside your body – and what to do about it – before issues arise. With this podcast, we hope to bring listeners confidence in everyday health decisions.
To learn more about Thriva’s values and services, visit thriva.co.
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