Your internal clock: the science that is changing the way we rest

“We all have a small part of the brain that keeps time and tells the body what time it is. This internal clock sets the body’s schedule, but it has to stay in sync with the outside world. It synchronizes every day with sunlight. If it didn't adjust, we would drift a little more each day until we ended up completely out of sync,” explains Dr. Golombek.

That adjustment of the internal clock is “essential for health, mood, and productivity.” To him, it's clear: stress and anxiety are public enemy number one for this cycle, along with “lack of exposure to natural daylight during the day and excessive exposure to artificial light at night.”

The consequences of disrupted sleep, eating at irregular hours, or improper screen use include “daytime sleepiness the next day, mood changes, difficulty concentrating, and problems with memory consolidation. If our sleep is not synchronized, we’re going to get sick more often,” concludes Golombek.

In addition, the American Heart Association has warned that disruptions to circadian rhythm are linked to a higher risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. And the American Academy of Neurology has found that people with more irregular rhythms are at greater risk of developing dementia.

To train our internal clock, one of the most visible solutions is wearable monitoring devices capable of collecting information about our biological rhythms and daily habits. Smartwatches, biometric rings, and fitness trackers collect data on our sleep, body temperature, heart rate, and levels of physical activity to detect circadian disruptions and suggest healthier routines.

“The miniaturization of these sensors to determine all of our biological rhythms in a personalized and ambulatory way is one of the major advances. Sensors integrated directly into clothing are already in use, as are sensors that measure respiratory rate through breathing. These devices make it possible to monitor variables related to nervous system activity, breathing, movement, and body temperature,” says Golombek.

Smart lighting has become another major area of development. In offices, hospitals, and homes, systems are starting to be installed that automatically adjust light intensity and color temperature depending on the time of day. In the morning, cooler and brighter light predominates to promote alertness. As evening approaches, the system lowers the intensity and uses warmer tones that encourage the production of melatonin, the hormone associated with sleep.

Alongside wearables, devices are also emerging that can monitor the user’s immediate environment without needing to be worn. Proximity technologies, placed near the body, focus on lighting and temperature. There are invisible pneumatic mats placed under the mattress to measure and analyze how we move during sleep in order to determine sleep quality, as well as smart mattress covers that raise or lower body temperature to achieve deeper rest. 

When it comes to lighting in the home, smart systems can activate circadian mode to suppress melatonin during the day and prepare the brain for rest at sunset. There are also low-power radar technologies capable of detecting the movement and breathing of the nearest person without requiring cameras or wearable patches. 

Genetic testing is another tool in chronobiology used to understand and modify the internal clock, helping identify genetic variations that increase the risk of sleep phase disorders. “Genome sequencing has become much cheaper and far more automated,” says Golombek, which helps determine a person’s natural tendency to be a morning person or a night owl.

At the same time, interest has grown in so-called “chrononutrition”: apps and platforms that help align meal schedules with natural metabolic rhythms. Different studies show that eating late disrupts energy regulation and increases metabolic risk. 

Artificial intelligence (AI) is beginning to play a key role. As these tools collect more information, they become capable of identifying patterns that are difficult to detect with the naked eye and offering increasingly personalized recommendations. Digital platforms analyze biological patterns and generate personalized recommendations on the best times to sleep, exercise, get light exposure, or even eat. The idea is to adapt lifestyle habits to an individual’s chronotype, since some people function better in the morning while others perform better at night. To put this into practice, AI-based applications already exist that track daily habits and identify the times when people reach their highest levels of energy, concentration, or restfulness. 

With all of these technological solutions, the wellness of the future will be less tied to universal routines and more focused on personalized systems capable of interpreting our internal rhythms in real time. Technology is not trying to replace biology, but to reconnect us with it. After years of trying to adapt our bodies to the demands of modern life, science is beginning to show that perhaps true innovation simply means learning to listen again to our biological clock.