Journalist Ally Hirschlag successfully reset her internal clock during a one week sleep experiment, waking naturally without an alarm by following expert guidance.
The trial was prompted by her growing reliance on morning alarms after entering her 40s, alongside difficulty falling asleep and persistent morning grogginess requiring constant caffeine. Her editor suggested testing whether expert sleep advice could help re-establish a functional circadian rhythm.
Hirschlag's dependence on alarms had shifted significantly throughout her life. As a teenager, a consistent routine ending around 11:00 pm allowed her internal clock to wake her before school alarms. University schedules disrupted this pattern, increasing her alarm reliance, though entering the workforce initially restored her sleep balance.
Before starting the seven day trial, researchers advised Hirschlag to identify her natural sleep baseline.
To assess her natural rhythm, Hirschlag monitored her sleep during a cruise, observing when she felt sleepy at night and ready to wake in the morning. She discovered her natural window ran from 11:30 pm to 8:00 am, providing an eight and a half hour sleep period.
Sleep experts note that while adults generally require seven to nine hours of nightly sleep, individual biological needs vary. Eti Ben Simon, associate director of Sleep Innovation Labs at the University of Texas at Dallas, stated that eight hours is average, but some individuals require seven while others need nine based on circadian variability. She noted that getting fewer than six hours of sleep increases the risk of premature death by 20 percent.
Addressing concerns about workweek anxiety affecting sleep quality, Helen Burgess, co-director of the sleep and circadian research laboratory at the University of Michigan, emphasized schedule consistency over exact duration. Burgess explained that maintaining a regular bedtime early enough to secure needed hours creates a positive effect as the body relaxes into the routine.
Setting up a sleep routine
Light plays a primary role in regulating the circadian clock by signaling the body to halt melatonin production and prepare for wakefulness. Anna Joyce, a chartered psychologist and sleep specialist at Regent's University London, identified light as the main regulator of the internal clock.
Studies indicate that bright morning light can exert a significant antidepressant effect by releasing serotonin. To manage her sensitivity to light, Hirschlag used blackout blinds and a sleep mask while sleeping, then opened the blinds immediately upon waking to trigger a cortisol surge, which Ben Simon noted signals the internal clock to start the day.
Joyce recommended a predictable unwind routine starting two hours before sleep, including dimming lights to stimulate natural melatonin production. Hirschlag established a routine of putting on pajamas, brushing her teeth, and completing skincare as soon as sleepiness set in, allowing her to get directly into bed at her target time.
Body temperature management was also integrated into the strategy. Ben Simon explained that internal body temperature drops at night as energy expenditure decreases, shedding residual heat through blood vessel dilation in the hands and feet. To combat excess heat disruption, Hirschlag set her thermostat to drop at 11:00 pm and fitted her bed with temperature-regulating bamboo sheets.
Overcoming digital and dietary obstacles
Smartphones represent a major barrier to sleep quality due to blue light emissions and compulsive dopamine-driven social media scrolling. Recent analytical research confirmed that excessive scrolling hinders sleep onset.
To eliminate screen distractions, Hirschlag placed her phone in grayscale mode to dull visual cues and locked it inside a physical app-blocking device from 9:00 pm to midnight each evening.
Dietary adjustments were also introduced to support circadian alignment. Hirschlag limited herself to a single morning cup of coffee, aligned her meal times, and finished dinner at least three hours before bedtime to prevent metabolic interference with sleep rhythms.
Burgess advised minimizing alcohol intake, warning that while alcohol helps individuals fall asleep faster, it inhibits REM sleep and causes disruptions later in the night.
To prevent early morning disturbances from her two cats, who seek breakfast at 6:00 am, Hirschlag's husband agreed to handle morning feedings and sleep on the sofa if he needed to wake at 5:00 am. Experts also recommended setting an emergency backup alarm for 8:20 am, 20 minutes past her natural target wake time.
Tracking the seven day experiment
On the first night of the experiment, Hirschlag fell asleep around midnight, half an hour after her 11:30 pm goal, experiencing multiple nighttime awakenings before waking just before 8:00 am and dozing until 8:15 am.
On night two, she fell asleep at a similar time after listening to an autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) video with her phone face down, remaining asleep until her emergency alarm sounded at 8:20 am.
Following a busy third day, she fell asleep around 11:00 pm and woke naturally at 7:10 am, resting in bed without returning to sleep.
Night four saw her fall asleep shortly before midnight, but an early morning doorbell interrupted her rest at 6:45 am, though she managed to sleep for another hour afterward.
On night five, she fell asleep at 11:30 pm and woke at 8:12 am, despite receiving a cat paw swipe to her face at 5:30 am.
On the sixth night, which coincided with her birthday, Hirschlag drank two alcoholic beverages and went to bed at 12:30 am. She woke with heartburn at 6:00 am before sleeping until 9:00 am.
On the final Friday night, she fell asleep between 11:30 pm and midnight, waking naturally on Saturday at 8:05 am before rising to purchase cortado coffees from a local cafe.
Long term results and expert advice
Following the official conclusion of the week long trial, Hirschlag continued waking comfortably shortly after 8:00 am on Sunday and throughout the subsequent week without extra effort.
Although she has since returned to using an alarm to some extent, she found waking naturally significantly easier provided she secured at least eight hours of sleep. By the fourth day of the trial, morning grogginess had diminished markedly, an improvement she attributed primarily to consistent bedtime routines and reduced screen time.
Looking ahead, Hirschlag aims to shift her wake-up time one hour earlier. Burgess cautioned that adjusting the circadian system requires time and recommended advancing bedtime and wake times gradually by 30 minutes each day until reaching the desired schedule.
Societal sleep challenges and youth impact
The trial highlights broader societal challenges surrounding sleep hygiene and technology use, particularly among adolescents whose developing bodies require significant rest.
A 2025 analysis of 45,000 Norwegian students revealed a direct link between excessive smartphone usage and poor sleep quality among youth.
Ben Simon observed a clear connection between sleep disruptions and mental health issues in young adults, warning that sleep deprivation can precipitate underlying mental health risks. She stated that while teenagers require at least nine hours of sleep, nearly 70 percent fail to get even seven hours.
Burgess noted that sleep does not function like an on and off switch, emphasizing that individuals seeking to reset their schedules must remain patient and allow room for trial and error.
