Islamic teachings provide us with a complete guide to life. By following the sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and integrating scientific principles, we can prevent burnout, improve focus, and achieve greater balance in our lives.

Here’s a structured approach to living in harmony with your natural circadian rhythm:

Before Bed

• Avoid Eating Late: Don’t eat or drink 1-2 hours before bed, especially avoid sugar. High blood sugar levels can severely affect sleep quality.
• Limit Screen Time: Cut screen time an hour before bed. If needed, turn on a red filter (set up an iOS automation to activate at sunset) to block blue light. This will help your body know it’s time to wind down.
• Dim Your Lights: Avoid blue or cool white lighting at night. Opt for warm lights (red if possible) or use blue-light blocking glasses to signal your brain it’s nighttime.

Sleep and Sunnah Practices

• Use Miswak: Replace your fluoride toothpaste with miswak. As Ibn Qayyim mentioned, it cleans the brain, sharpens the appetite, aids digestion, improves eyesight, among other benefits. Additionally, it’s sunnah to use the miswak before every salah to keep oral hygiene in check. Flouride can also affect gut health and has been ranked as an unknown carcinogen.
• Sleep Right After Isha: It’s the sunnah to sleep after Isha. Not only does this regulate bedtime, but it also sets a rhythm aligned with nature. If possible, wake up an hour before Fajr for Tahajjud.
• Sleep on the Right Side: The Prophet (ﷺ) recommended sleeping on the right side, which aids digestion and improves circulation, as supported by modern studies.

Starting Your Day Right

• Cold Showers: If you take a shower in the morning, finish with 1-2 minutes of cold water. This boosts circulation, energy, mental clarity, and cortisol regulation, boosting energy levels for the entire day.
• Walk to Fajr: Try to walk to the Masjid for Fajr, or park nearby and walk the remaining distance. This simple habit improves both physical and mental well-being.
• Morning Routine: After Fajr, engage in dhikr and Qur’an recitation. When you return, drink warm water with honey as the Prophet (ﷺ) did—it’s a proven way to boost health and Ibn Qayyim said on an empty stomach, this is the secret of maintaining good health that no one can understand except one who is intelligent and blessed. Also add, or in a separate glass of water stir Himalayan pink salt which provides an electrolyte balance for your body.
• Caffeine and Sleep: Waiting 90 minutes after waking to have your first coffee will prevent the afternoon energy crash. Avoid caffeine 10 hours before bed. Even if you feel fine, caffeine’s half-life can still disrupt your sleep quality.

The Science of Morning Light

• Get Outdoors After Sunrise: Within 30 minutes of sunrise, get outside for at least 5-10 minutes. Sunlight at this time sets your circadian rhythm, improving your focus and mood for the rest of the day. Even on cloudy days, outdoor exposure is better than any indoor lighting. This is one of the major routines needed to align your circadian rhythm

Boosting Productivity

• Deep Work: After your morning routine, focus on your most important tasks. If you feel your concentration slipping, reset with a quick walk, push-ups, or two raka’ahs (Duha). Remember, don’t eat to your fill, eat slow and stay hydrated.
• Take a Power Nap: Before/after Dhuhr, aim for a 20-90 minute nap, depending on the season. In the summer, longer naps may be necessary due to shorter night sleep. The Prophet (ﷺ) and his companions would practice this, and on Fridays not nap or eat their first meal until after Jummah.

Additional Health Practices from Sunnah

• Sunnah Fasting: Fasting on Mondays and Thursdays, or the White Days, has immense rewards, health benefits, including improved metabolism, fat loss, and discipline. Science also supports intermittent fasting for enhanced mental clarity and physical well-being.
• Drink Water in Sips: The Prophet (ﷺ) advised drinking water in small sips. This practice aids digestion and prevents bloating, as gulping large amounts of water can lead to discomfort and poor absorption. Drinking in smaller sips also increases water retention!
• Moderation in Eating: In addition to the one-third rule for food, water, and air, it’s also sunnah to eat slowly and mindfully, which promotes better digestion and prevents overeating.

Throughout the Day

• Daily Movement: Walk to the Masjid for Salah—especially Asr and Maghrib. Aim for 10,000 steps per day, and try to walk after meals. Ibn Qayyim advised that not doing so can be harmful to the body.
• Consistent Meal Times: Try to eat your meals at the same time every day, ideally after Maghrib or anchored around your prayer schedule. Erratic meal times are like giving your body jet lag. Maintain consistency in your meals for better digestion and energy.

Sunnah Meets Science

When you combine the Prophet’s (ﷺ) teachings which are filled with wisdoms known and unknown to us, you align your life with the fitrah (natural inclination) that Allah has created for us. Living in harmony with these rhythms allows you to optimise your health, productivity, and spiritual well-being.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, offering the prayers at their fixed times is the most beloved deed to Allah. This shows the significance of building a regular routine around salah and it creates balance in all aspects of life.

There are numerous evidences showing the importance of the salah which constitutes towards a structured day. “Whoever prays Isha and Fajr in congregation, it is as if they have spent the entire night in prayer.”

Ibn `Umar narrates, Muhammad (ﷺ) said: Whoever misses the `Asr prayer will be like who has lost his family and money.

Abu Al-Maleeh narrates: We were with Buraida in a battle on a cloudy day and he said: “Offer the ‘Asr prayer early as the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Whoever leaves the ‘Asr prayer, all his (good) deeds will be annulled”. [Sahih Bukhari]

Building Solah: Align Your Day, Optimise Your Life

I’m currently building Solah, an AI scheduling app designed specifically for Muslims to help align your daily schedule with salah, the sunnah and science-based productivity techniques, such as the routines I touched upon in this post. Solah helps you achieve balance, be more intentional, improve well-being, and enhance your impact.

Ready to optimise your life?
Join the waitlist at solah.app to become an early adopter as soon as we’re ready – we’re early stage right now but we’re beginning to release updates to our wait list.