You Can't Out-Caffeinate a Broken Rhythm

Grogginess is a biological signal that your brain is still in sleep mode, waiting for the sun to reset the clock. If you’re already at your desk by the time the sun is up, you’ve missed the most important "input" of the day.

Sunlight is the primary controller (or "zeitgeber") of your circadian rhythm, signaling your internal body clock to stay awake during the day and preparing you for sleep as it gets dark by influencing melatonin (the sleep hormone).

Sunlight suppresses melatonin during the day and signals for its releases at night, regulating the sleep-wake cycle. Morning sunlight triggers a healthy, natural spike in cortisol, the "wake-up" hormone, to promote alertness.

Circadian rhythm controls hormone production, body temperature, digestion, and how well your brain functions throughout the day. When that rhythm is off, everything else struggles to work properly.

Winter makes this worse. The sun rises later, and by the time there's actual daylight, you're already inside. Your system never gets the cue to fully wake up.

I stopped asking stimulants to do the sun’s job by getting outside within 30 minutes of waking, regardless of temperature. Ten minutes of morning light changed my energy trajectory entirely.

Try it tomorrow: Let sunlight be the first light you see.