You have a clock inside of you. Do you hear it ticking? Of course not, it's not that kind of clock but it does keep time and your internal clock is remarkably accurate. It runs on 24.2 hour cycles and it's capable of making tiny adjustments based on light.So what exactly is this clock? Well, deep in your brain, just above where your optic nerves cross, sits a tiny cluster of about 20,000 neurons called the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Scientists call it the SCN for short or I prefer your brain clock. Think of it as your body's master timekeeper. These neurons fire in predictable rhythmic patterns over roughly 24 hours, literally ticking away like biological clockwork and that's not all. You also have what scientists call molecular clocks and these exist in nearly every cell of your body. Inside each cell, special genes turn on and off in precise cycles, creating tiny molecular timers. It's like having thousands of synchronized pocket watches throughout your whole body, all keeping the same time. This internal clock system is very sophisticated. It tells your body when to release melatonin to make you sleepy and when to peak cortisol production to wake you up and here's why we're talking about this. When this internal clock gets disrupted, whether from shift work, travel, or regular schedules, or just the chaos of modern life, it doesn't just affect when you feel sleepy, it throws off the entire symphony of hormones and biological processes that should be working together to give you natural restorative sleep. If you're lying here tonight unable to sleep, it could be what's called a circadian rhythm disorder, or in simpler terms, your clock's out of whack. And what throws our clocks out of whack most often? It's a regular light exposure, especially bright light at night, an insufficient bright light during the day.And there are things you can do to help reset your internal clock. Make sure you get some morning light. Even a short walk outside can make a huge difference. And keep your evenings dim. This helps your brain start producing melatonin naturally. But for those of you who don't have much control over your environment, like shift workers or new parents, it's not that easy.But if that's you, you can still work with what you've got. Keep your bedroom as dark as possible. Even small amounts of light can interfere with melatonin production.Cool is better than warm. Your body temperature naturally drops as you prepare for sleep. So a cooler room supports this process.And most importantly, don't fight with yourself about sleep. Anxiety about your disrupted rhythm only makes the problem worse. Your body has an incredible ability to adapt, given the right conditions, and a little patience.Learning to relax fully before bed can help your body transition to sleep, even when the timing feels off. Tonight we're going to help you do exactly that. With a short progressive body relaxation and hypnotic visualization that guides your internal clock back toward balance. But first, please make sure you're somewhere safe to fall asleep. There's a full disclaimer in our show notes. And to our growing community of listeners, thanks for following and supporting this show.And if you haven't hit follow yet, maybe postpone your trip to Snoozeville for just a few seconds and hit that follow button. I'll wait. Because that is what keeps this show going.Now, take a slow, deep breath in. And exhale slowly, releasing any tension from this day. Let's do that again.Breathe in deeply. And then let it flow out with a soft sigh. Feel all the tension, all the weight, all the stress of your day, releasing with that long, beautiful exhale.Feel how each breath brings calm to your body. And each exhale carries away any stress or worry you might be holding. Bring your attention to the areas around your eyes and mouth.These tiny muscles work so hard during the day. They're constantly adjusting and focusing, expressing. Let them rest now.Notice the difference in how that feels. How much more relaxed your face feels. Bring your attention to your arms, from your shoulders all the way down to your fingertips.Feel them becoming loose and fluid, like they're made of warm water rather than muscle and bone. Your hands can open naturally, fingers curling softly, feeling loose and light and relaxed. Feel this wave of relaxation flowing down your chest and into your back.All those muscles that have been supporting you, holding you upright, carrying you through your day. They can rest now. Your hips and legs join this gentle release.Feel your thighs becoming heavy and still, your knees, ankles, and your toes. Everything settling into complete comfort. Your whole body now rests in perfect stillness, ready for the peaceful journey ahead.Continue breathing slowly and deeply, feeling completely relaxed and ready. And let my voice become your guide as we begin this peaceful journey together. Allow my words to flow over you like gentle waves.If you notice other sounds around you, perhaps the hum of a fan, footsteps in another room, or distant traffic, simply let them fade into the background as you return your attention to the sound of my voice. My voice will anchor you in this calm, drowsy state, leading you gently toward the deep breath you're seeking. With each word I speak, feel yourself drifting further from the busy thoughts of the day and closer to the peaceful place where sleep naturally finds you.In your mind's eye, begin to see yourself approaching a peaceful beachside cottage, just as the late afternoon sun begins its descent toward the horizon. You've been traveling for a long time. Your internal clock has become confused, disrupted by irregular schedules, late nights, and the artificial rhythms of modern life.But you've come here to remember, to reset your internal clock, to return to a natural and synchronous way of being. The cottage sits on a gentle bluff overlooking the ocean. Its weathered shingles and wraparound porch speak of simpler times.As you step out of your car, you immediately notice something your body hasn't felt in such a long time. The natural progression of light. The sun hangs golden and warm above the water, but already you can sense its slow journey toward evening.Walk up the wooden steps to the cottage porch. Each step feels like moving closer to something your body once knew instinctively. The porch faces west, perfectly positioned to witness the daily miracle your ancestors used to set their lives by.The setting of the sun. Settle into the comfortable wicker chair that waits for you here. Feel the sea breeze moving across your skin, carrying with it the sweet scent of the ocean.This breeze is slightly cooler than the air around you. Your first gentle signal. That day is transitioning into night, as you sit here watching the sun begin its slow descent.Something deep within your body stirs with recognition. Your eyes, which have been confused by artificial light and glowing screens, begin to register this natural dimming. The golden light speaks to ancient parts of your brain, telling that very primal part of yourself that it's time to wind down.Feel your pupils naturally adjusting to this softer light behind your eyes, in the deep regions of your brain. Tiny sensors that have been dormant begin to awaken. The sun sinks lower and lower, and the light begins to change from gold to a rich amber.With each subtle shift, your body remembers a little more. Your pineal gland, that small but crucial part of your brain, begins its evening work. Very gradually, it starts to release melatonin into your bloodstream. Feel this happening as a warm sensation, beginning somewhere behind your forehead, and flowing slowly through your body. This isn't the harsh sleepiness of exhaustion. This is your body's natural evening hormone, designed to guide you gently toward rest. The ocean waves below maintain their eternal rhythm, and without realizing it, your breathing begins to match their pace. Your heart, which has been racing through irregular days and sleepless nights, begins to find this same oceanic rhythm. Steady, calm, natural. As the sun touches the horizon, the air around you cools further. Feel your core temperature dropping just a degree or two. Not enough to be uncomfortable, but enough to signal to every cell in your body that the active day is ending.The sun is half hidden now behind the water, and the sky transforms into layers of pink and purple. Your eyes drink in this natural progression of color, this ancient signal that has guided human sleep for thousands of years. Deep in your brain, your master clock, silent for so long, begins to tick with renewed purpose. Feel your shoulders dropping away from your ears as the first real relaxation you've felt in months begins to settle into your muscles. Your jaw, which has been clenched with the stress of fighting your own body's confusion, finally softens. Your hands, which have been gripping phones and steering wheels and coffee cups, rest gently in your lap.The sun disappears completely now, leaving only a golden glow on the horizon. The first stars begin to appear in the deepening blue around you. Your body recognizes this darkness not as something to fight with artificial light, but as a gentle invitation to rest as the darkness deepens around you. Notice how your eyelids are growing heavier, wanting to close, responding to this ancient signal of nighttime. Feel the melatonin flowing more freely now, like a warm river moving through your bloodstream. It reaches your arms and legs, bringing a pleasant heaviness that flows to your brain, softening the edges of your thoughts, making them feel less urgent, more dreamlike.Your circadian rhythm, disrupted for so long, begins to remember what it's supposed to do. Like muscle memory returning, your body rediscovers the natural sleep-wake cycle it was born knowing. Inside the cottage, you prepare for sleep with the kind of natural tiredness you'd almost forgotten existed.Not the exhaustion of staying up too late or waking too early, but the gentle, satisfied sleepiness that comes when your body and the natural world are in harmony. As you settle into your comfortable bed, you can hear the ocean waves continuing their eternal rhythm outside your window. Your breathing matches their pace.Your heartbeat finds its calm cadence. Your body temperature has settled into its perfect sleeping range. Your internal clock, reset by this evening of natural cues, ticks quietly and confidently.It knows what time it is now. It remembers how to guide you into deep, restorative sleep, and how to wake you naturally when morning comes. As you drift back from that peaceful cottage to your own bed, notice how your body carries with it the memory of that natural evening rhythm.Your internal clock, gently reset by the sunset and ocean waves, continues to tick with quiet confidence. Feel how your breathing has found that same oceanic pace, slow and deep, like the eternal tide in and out, carrying you further from the confusion of disrupted days, and closer to the natural peace your body was designed to know. Your muscles have learned again how to soften with the darkness.The tension that comes from fighting against your own rhythms has melted away. Notice how your thoughts have taken on the quality of twilight itself, becoming softer around the edges, flowing into one another, like colors blending in a sunset sky. This is your mind preparing for dreams, for the natural repair work that happens when you surrender to sleep.Your eyelids carry the pleasant weight of evening darkness. They want to stay closed now. Resting peacefully as your internal clock guides you deeper into the rhythm you were born knowing, the rhythm that connects you to every sunset, every tide, every natural cycle that has ever existed.Feel yourself floating now in perfect alignment with these ancient patterns. Your heartbeat matches the gentle pulse of the earth itself. Your body knows exactly what to do.It has done this countless times before, and will do it countless times again. The cottage by the sea continues its quiet watch over the ocean. And here, in your own bed, you continue your journey back to the natural sleep. Your body remembers how to find rest now, in this perfect synchronization, this gentle return to your own rhythms.