Breus Michael - The power of when : discover your chronotype--and the best time to eat lunch, ask for a raise, have sex, write a novel, take your meds, and more

Dr. Breus has been a friend and colleague of mine since my show began. His tireless enthusiasm for learning, and for educating the public and being out in front of cutting-edge information about sleep and sleep disorders, has made him one of the core experts in many of my ventures.

I became interested in the healing power of circadian rhythms when I was in a meeting room with Dr. Breus. We were discussing the future of sleep medicine and why sleep deprivation was the most underappreciated health and wellness problem in America. I wanted to know what the next big thing in sleep would be.

Dr. Breus explained that the circadian system, also known as your biological clock, affects every area of functioning in the body, controlling everything from the multiplication of cancer cells to the integrity of the immune system. It became clear to me that there was a wealth of research on the topic but little exposure to it among the general public. I knew that people needed to be educated about it in a meaningful way, and so I encouraged Dr. Breus to write The Power of When.

The more you understand circadian dyssynchronya concept presented in the book in a highly accessible waythe more you will improve your life. For example, the gut has a circadian pacemaker of its own. When your gut is not on its biological clock schedule, hormone disruption causes increased levels of inflammation, inefficient metabolism, even decreased effectiveness of many prescription therapies.

The quiz at the beginning of the book helps you figure out which one of four distinct chronorhythm groups you fall into. Then you get a basic understanding of what a typical day for a Lion, Bear, Wolf, or Dolphin looks like and when the best time to do many basic tasks is.

As many of you know, I am a big proponent of regular bowel movements, and I speak about them frequently on my show. One of my favorite chapters in the book explains when to have one; it does not get much easier than that! Another chapter that I paid specific attention to was when to take medication effectively so that it can improve your lifeovernight. And what about physical activity? Dr. Breus has dedicated an entire section of this book to identifying times when you will get the most benefit and pleasure from being active.

Circadian science will advance medical testing. Testing can now become more precise through the time-stamping of specimen collection and the comparison of results to time-based norms. Clinicians can get more accurate results. What if your blood was drawn to look at your thyroid levels in the morning versus the evening: Could the results differ to the point of diagnosis? It appears so.

Based on a simple understanding of your biology and scheduling, you will learn when you can get the most out of yourself and your significant relationships, in areas like sex, love, planning an event, and talking to your kids. When you see improvement in these areas, you can enhance your health and your life in ways you could never have imagined.

Of course, we cannot forget about work, which occupies so much of our time. Knowing and understanding when you function best, and when others function best, allows you to put your best ideas forward, be most creative, and be open to instruction. This book will allow you to learn when you can truly be your best on many levels.

I took the quiz and discovered I am a Lion. I identified well with this chronotypes characteristics, and realized that I had unknowingly created a schedule that worked for me, with many areas right on target. But I decided to change the timing of napping in my life to see if I could make this particular area more efficient. I was amazed at the impact this one simple change had on my health. And so it gives me great pleasure to write this foreword to tell all of you how this book can help you, your family, your career, and your health.

Mehmet C. Oz, MD