One of the wellness trends that will define 2020 is sleep. A core pillar of health, the discussion and obsession with sleep has even led to “orthosomnia”, which is “a condition where anxiety over sleep tracking causes sleep problems.”
Sleep is inherently related to circadian biology; this is the internal ‘clock’ that is inside each human body. As a report from the Global Wellness Summit explained: “Nearly all organisms, including humans, have internal daily clocks (circadian rhythms) that control almost every biological system in our bodies, from our sleep-wake cycles and mood and performance patterns to our metabolic, immune and reproductive systems. The bedrock of circadian science is that exposure to regular light-dark cycles provides the daily “time cues” needed to reset our circadian clocks every single day, and not only determines how well we sleep but our very cellular health. We need the sun’s bright blue light in the day to be alert and active, and we need dark to kick-start our brain’s sleep mode and recovery.”
Research shows that disruption in a circadian system can have significant health disorders, including a risk of obesity, diabetes, some cancers, heart disease, depression, gut disorders, allergies, infections, premature aging—and early death. Therefore, the focus needs to shift from a focus on sleep to circadian health. A healthy circadian system will not only impact your sleep for the better, but also other parts of your body that utilise an internal clock.
Looking ahead, the Global Wellness Summit predicts the following trends in sleep wellness:
– More people will finally bring circadian rhythm-supporting lighting (and behaviors) into their homes, with an explosion of tunable, biodynamic lighting solutions that sync light with the time of day.
– New technologies such as the Timeshifter app offer personalized jet lag plans with timed light exposure advice as the foundation to help travelers eliminate jet lag, and could have important applications for “timeshifting” shift workers to new work schedules, or even preparing patients for surgeries and treatments to improve efficacy.
– More hotels, wellness resorts and airlines will think beyond generic sleep offerings to offer true circadian solutions for travelers based on their circadian cycle, revolving around the timing of light.
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