Did you know your body has a built-in timekeeper? It’s called your circadian rhythm - a roughly 24-hour internal cycle that regulates sleep, metabolism, hormone release, appetite, and even how you respond to stress and medications.

At the centre of this system is your CLOCK gene. Think of it as the conductor of your body’s biological orchestra. When this rhythm is disrupted - through late nights, irregular eating, shift work, or certain genetic variants - it can throw your system off balance. The result? Poor sleep, mood swings, reduced metabolic efficiency, and increased risk of chronic conditions like obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

The exciting part? With i-screen’s myDNA Comprehensive Check, you can learn how your unique version of the CLOCK gene influences your biology - and how to work with your body’s natural timing instead of against it.

What Can Your CLOCK Gene Tell You?

Your CLOCK gene plays a major role in:

• Your natural sleep-wake preference (early bird vs. night owl)
• How your body processes food and regulates appetite
• Hormone patterns that influence mood and energy stability
• Weight regulation, particularly when routines are inconsistent
• How easily you adapt to time changes (jet lag, shift work, irregular schedules)

Certain CLOCK gene variants - such as the 3111T/C polymorphism - are linked to delayed sleep timing, increased evening hunger, and greater difficulty managing weight when eating later in the day.

Research also shows that aligning daily habits - like light exposure, meal timing, and sleep - to your genotype can improve insulin sensitivity, mood, and metabolic health.

Practical Ways to Support Your Body Clock

Whether your CLOCK gene leans toward a morning or evening chronotype, syncing with your rhythm brings big benefits.

• Get early light: Aim for 10–15 minutes of natural light within 30–60 minutes of waking. This helps anchor circadian signals and improve sleep quality.
• Front-load your meals: Eating most of your calories earlier supports blood sugar balance - especially important for night owls with CLOCK variants linked to reduced glucose tolerance in the evening.
• Keep a consistent routine: Going to bed and waking at the same time every day - even on weekends - helps stabilise melatonin and cortisol rhythms.
• Cut screen time at night: Reduce blue light in the evenings to allow melatonin to rise naturally, preparing your body for sleep.

Intermittent Fasting - Tailored to Your CLOCK Gene

Time-restricted eating (TRE) is one of the most powerful tools for improving circadian alignment, but its benefits are greatly enhanced when the eating window is matched to your CLOCK genotype.

People with morning-type variants, such as certain CLOCK 3111T/T patterns, tend to have earlier peaks in energy and insulin sensitivity. They usually respond best to an early eating window, such as from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., which allows them to take advantage of their body’s natural metabolic high point and avoid evening dips in glucose tolerance.

In contrast, those with evening-type variants, including many carriers of the CLOCK 3111C allele, often experience delayed sleep onset, higher appetite later in the day, and a natural tendency to eat at night. For these individuals, shifting food intake earlier can be challenging but highly beneficial. Starting with a mid-morning to early-evening window - such as 10am to 6pm - and gradually moving it earlier over time can improve glucose control, reduce evening cravings, and support better sleep quality.

For variants associated with greater weight regulation difficulties, consistency in daily eating times is critical. Rather than alternating fasting patterns or having highly variable hours, sticking to the same eating window every day reduces “metabolic jet lag” and helps stabilise hormonal rhythms.

Multiple studies have shown that TRE aligned with circadian biology improves insulin sensitivity, lipid profiles, and inflammatory markers, with the most significant results seen when eating is confined to daylight hours.

Why Test Your CLOCK Gene?

While general circadian health tips can benefit everyone, knowing your specific genotype helps you:

• Set your optimal fasting window for metabolic and hormonal benefits
• Time exercise and meals for maximum energy and recovery
• Reduce the health risks associated with shift work or irregular schedules
• Personalise sleep hygiene strategies to your chronotype

Beyond the CLOCK Gene

Your circadian rhythm is shaped by multiple genes, not just CLOCK. That’s why i-screen’s myDNA Comprehensive Check: https://www.i-screen.com.au/tests/mydna-comprehensive-health-report also analyses other circadian and metabolic genes. Pairing these results with the following panels can give you a fuller picture of how your body responds to light, stress, and sleep - so you can fine-tune your lifestyle for long-term wellbeing.

• Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR) test - to assess your hormonal rhythm
• Sleep Hormone Check - to measure melatonin timing, sleep latency, and recovery

Unlock your body’s natural rhythm—order your i-screen myDNA Comprehensive Check today and start living in sync with your CLOCK gene for better sleep, mood, and long-term health.