Exhausted, Wired, Or Just Off? Your Circadian Rhythm Might Be the Problem.

By Rachel Medlock, Guest Editor

You’re not imagining it. The bone-deep exhaustion. The weird sleep. The anxiety that won’t quit even when things are technically fine.

According to Rachael Stevens, CEO of Circadia Australia, there’s a biological reason you’re feeling off. It starts with light, ends with your skin, and it has everything to do with your circadian rhythm.

“There isn’t a disease or disorder that circadian disruption doesn’t touch,” Rachael says. “That includes metabolic conditions, cardiovascular disease, infertility, mental health, chronic sleep problems, and yes, skin issues too. High cortisol levels break down collagen. It all links.”

As skin therapists, you’ve been trained to think in layers. You know how to look beyond the surface, but what is rarely discussed is how internal rhythms might be quietly breaking us down while we’re too busy holding space for everyone else.

According to Rachael, it starts with the sun. More specifically, the light from it. Not the kind we wear SPF to block, but the kind that hits our eyes in the morning.

“Morning light through the retina triggers your suprachiasmatic nucleus,” she explains. “That signals a protein called melanopsin, which helps suppress melatonin and triggers the release of cortisol. That early in the morning, cortisol isn’t a bad thing. It wakes you up. It regulates serotonin, supports immune function, bone health, and cognition. It even helps regulate appetite, but it only happens when the body receives that early light signal. If the first light you see is your phone, you’re already out of sync.”

That misalignment isn’t without consequence. Rachael points to a study showing that if you’re awake between 10pm and 4am for just two hours a night across 25 days in a year, you qualify as a shift worker. For therapists juggling late clients, end-of-day admin, or the mental load of running a business, it’s a quiet but persistent biological red flag that deserves attention, not guilt.

“Sleep is the number one thing you need to get right for circadian rhythm function,” Rachael says. “And the number one disruptor is blue light.”

The irony isn’t lost on her. Therapists work indoors and under artificial lighting, and most finish the day with Netflix, emails, or a final scroll on Instagram. The result is a body that can’t differentiate between day and night, melatonin production gets shut down, repair doesn’t kick in, and your nervous system stays amped when it should be softening.

“There is zero doubt in the literature that artificial lights, especially blue-rich lights, put you at higher risk for a range of serious health issues,” she says. “Neurodegeneration, cardiovascular disease, cancers and in the short term, that same blue light is sabotaging your sleep.”

Caffeine doesn’t help either, and Rachael knows this is the part nobody wants to hear. In an industry powered by espresso and adrenaline, it’s often the one ritual that feels non-negotiable.

“Caffeine has a half-life of five to six hours,” she explains. “If you have a late afternoon coffee, a quarter of that caffeine is still in your brain at midnight. It masks tiredness by blocking adenosine, which is the chemical that makes us feel sleepy. But it doesn’t eliminate it. So once the caffeine wears off, all that adenosine comes flooding back and you get hit with a crash.”

That crash often leads to another coffee, and just like that, the cycle continues, leaving you wondering why sleep feels light and mornings feel heavy.

“Deep sleep is where growth hormones are released,” says Rachael. “It’s when the body repairs tissue, balances blood sugar, strengthens immunity, and consolidates memory. For the skin, it’s when the real healing happens.”

Diet plays a role, too. Rachael shares that insulin and melatonin fight for the same pathways. Late-night snacking forces the body to respond to food when it should be preparing for sleep. And then there are the oxalates.

“Spinach, almonds, green smoothies, protein powders. These all sound healthy,” she says. “But oxalates bind to minerals like calcium and form crystals in the body. They disrupt gut function and nutrient absorption. Over time, they throw your system off. Most of us are women, and women are often the ones waking up in the night to go to the bathroom. That’s usually your body trying to clear these toxins during the hours it’s supposed to be resting.”

So, where does that leave us?

“Watch the sunrise,” Rachael says. “Look out the window before you look at your phone. Wear blue blockers at night. Have your coffee earlier. Try to eat before the sun goes down. These are small shifts. They matter.”

You’re allowed to be the client sometimes, too. Your health, energy, and skin deserve care, the same way you give it every day to others.

@circadia_aus