The department of

Circadian

Circadian rhythm is your body's 24-hour internal clock, shaping sleep timing, alertness, and hormones — essays, science, and field notes on living with it.

Pieces 6
A close-up, intimate photograph of a modern white VR headset with a rigid aftermarket…
Circadian June 2026 · 5 min

What Product Design Awards Actually Tell You About a VR Headset Like the Meta Quest 2

A strap won an award. Not the headset — the strap. When a third-party accessory for the Meta Quest 2 picked up a design citation a few years back, the press release did what press releases do: it…

By Daniel Whitfield · Read →
A solitary runner on a quiet park path at sunrise, captured from the side…
Circadian May 2026 · 8 min

Outdoor Activity and Sleep: Does the Light Matter More Than the Exercise?

A friend tells you she sleeps better on the days she runs outside. She probably does. The question is why — and it's not the question most people answer.

By Marcus Webb · Read →
A serene, dimly lit bedroom photographed at dawn, soft golden morning light streaming through…
Circadian May 2026 · 5 min

Sleep Hygiene Isn't a Bedtime Routine: What Actually Moves the Needle

There is a version of sleep advice — you have read it, probably this week — that reads like a spa menu. Dim the lights. Lavender. No screens after nine. A cool, dark room. A cup of chamomile.

By Megan Caldwell · Read →
A close-up photorealistic shot of an analog bedside alarm clock on a wooden nightstand…
Circadian May 2026 · 4 min

The Quiet Cost of Daylight Saving Time: What "Gaining an Hour" Actually Does to Your Circadian Rhythm

Every fall, around the first Sunday in November, a particular sentence makes the rounds at dinner tables: at least this is the good one — we get an hour back.

By Megan Caldwell · Read →
A serene, dimly lit bedroom photographed at night, captured with a full-frame camera and…
Circadian May 2026 · 6 min

Sleep Hygiene Is Mostly Right, and Mostly Oversold

You have read the list before. Keep the bedroom cool and dark. No screens an hour before bed. No coffee after 2 p.m. Go to bed and wake up at the same time. Take a warm bath. Don't nap. Don't drink.

By Judith Hawthorn · Read →
A pair of amber-tinted blue light blocking glasses resting on a dark wooden desk…
Circadian May 2026 · 10 min

What Blue Light Blocking Glasses Actually Do (and Where the Wavelength Story Falls Apart)

The advice, by now, has the worn smoothness of a river stone: wear blue light blocking glasses in the evening and you will sleep better.

By Daniel Whitfield · Read →