Brighter Days, Darker Nights

What to look for before a tongue-tie release, with Dr. Neel Bulchandani

Hi everyone! I recorded this earlier this year and didn’t have the time to send it out! I hope you all enjoy this interview. We covered tongue-tie and oral restriction, and how Dr. Neel uses touch, light and empathic abilities to support infants and adults. This interview is one I definitely recommend to any family considering a tongue-tie release, as surgery can help, but isn’t always necessary and doesn’t always work. We also talked about light, the mouth, diastases, and so much more. Listen in, and if this message resonates, connect with Dr. Neel for support on his website here [https://www.neelbulchandani.com/]. Also, in case you missed my interview on Dr. Neel’s podcast Compromised to Alchemized where we dove into the health of the thyroid, you can catch up on that below: Thank you to everyone who tuned into our live podcast recording! I’m in the process of getting more expert interviews cued up for this Summer. I’m chatting about dates with an awesome building designer, a childbirth coach, and a few others for another great series. I was also featured on a few incredible podcasts recently including Awakening Spaces, Regenerative Health, the Evolving Wellness Podcast and more. I will be sharing those interviews with you all soon, too. Sign up for updates if you haven’t already! I appreciate your support. Brighter Days, Darker Nights is a reader-supported publication by Nikko Kennedy covering light and health from birth and beyond. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.brighterdaysdarkernights.com/subscribe [https://www.brighterdaysdarkernights.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

From anxious to safe: A new path forward through light, mitochondria, and quantum biology

If you or a loved one is experiencing anxiety, you need to understand that it is not just a “false alarm”. A nervous system constantly experiencing danger signals will present with anxiety it can’t be talked out of. This is why Kelli Ritter, PhD [https://substack.com/profile/163794635-kelli-ritter-phd] gave up her therapy license. She now practices with 5 interchangeable pillars: * Light * Water * Earth * Food * Breath These signals are all interconnected, so she teaches people how to start and move through them in the order that works best individually as not everyone will start in the same place. But when these safety signals stack up, the danger signals being sent at the cellular and quantum scale in chronic anxiety are no longer needed. And thus, the chronic anxiety can safely go away. Dr. Kelli Ritter has been teaching families how to recover from anxiety for decades, and is now turning to coaches to help even more practitioners use her framework to help their clients who are also struggling with chronic anxiety. With more people being diagnosed every day, it’s high time to focus on the signals that actually address the danger signaling happening under the surface. Listen to the episode above where I hosted Dr. Kelli, and then tune in below for the episode where Dr. Kelli hosted me! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.brighterdaysdarkernights.com/subscribe [https://www.brighterdaysdarkernights.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Strategies for system change from inside and building new systems (case study from lactation consulting)

Do you believe the current systems can improve? While it takes work, I do believe it is possible for systems—even large scale ones—to improve. And, I also know in some cases it is necessary (+ faster and more effective) to build new systems outside of the ones that exist. Watch Christine Staricka [https://substack.com/profile/40070489-christine-staricka] of Evolve Lactation and I chat about her strategies for improving the field of lactation through both of these methods. I invited her to have this conversation to learn what opportunities she saw for getting circadian rhythmicity integrated into lactation support. After all, we know breastmilk is one of the strongest cues for entraining a baby’s circadian rhythm—thus, good lactation support could reach the next generation when they are most vulnerable and help set them up for better circadian rhythms for life! Even if you don’t care about the field of lactation, there were translatable insights for other fields that suffer similarly from having grown cumbersome over years of additions, and yet still lack integrated knowledge of circadian rhythmicity where it is needed. If you resonate with Christine’s work, please subscribe to her publication (link below) to learn more and join her community for those who love moms and babies. She is a wealth of information about breastfeeding, breast health, and the field of lactation consulting. Thank you Kate Saffle [https://substack.com/profile/76705752-kate-saffle], Andréa St.Jules [https://substack.com/profile/214343505-andrea-stjules], Selene Taylor [https://substack.com/profile/39402619-selene-taylor], and many others for tuning into this live video with Christine Staricka [https://substack.com/profile/40070489-christine-staricka]! RSVP for my next live video through the community calendar here [https://luma.com/brighterdaysdarkernights?k=c]. If you enjoyed this interview, here are few posts I’ve shared about breastfeeding and babyhood: * Your mother gave you your circadian rhythm [https://www.brighterdaysdarkernights.com/p/where-does-the-circadian-rhythm-come-from] * Quantum Breastfeeding class (video) [https://www.brighterdaysdarkernights.com/p/quantum-breastfeeding-class?r=bz03m] * Circadian Babyhood class (video) [https://www.brighterdaysdarkernights.com/p/circadian-babyhood-workshop?r=bz03m] * Weaning, circadian style [https://www.brighterdaysdarkernights.com/p/weaning-circadian-style?r=bz03m] * Support for tandem breastfeeding [https://www.brighterdaysdarkernights.com/p/support-for-tandem-breastfeeding?r=bz03m] * Lactational amenorrhea and circadian prolactin [https://www.brighterdaysdarkernights.com/p/do-you-have-to-wean-to-conceive?r=bz03m] This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.brighterdaysdarkernights.com/subscribe [https://www.brighterdaysdarkernights.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

MyCircadianApp, nature school, sleep, social media and Sarah Kleiner’s new Substack

Today I had the fun of chatting motherhood & circadian rhythms health research with my friend and colleague Sarah Kleiner [https://substack.com/profile/327516813-sarah-kleiner]. I hope you enjoy it! It’s been over a year since Sarah and I had a long conversation (catch up on Melatonin as the overlooked reproductive hormone [https://youtu.be/l4wfmMzRLl8?si=ISBx6EauBetTREdR] if you missed that one on The Evolving Wellness Podcast). And since that time, Sarah has launched both an amazing app that has become a standard for light-based health tracking, and her own Substack. As part of her Substack launch, Sarah is running a huge contest—make sure to sign up for an entry! MyCircadianApp [https://mycircadianapp.com/] ← Get the app Sarah Kleiner Wellness on Substack [https://sarahkleinerwellness.substack.com/?r=bz03m] ← 1 contest entry for free, 2 entries for paid, and additional entries for sharing Thank you Kristen ✨ [https://substack.com/profile/17155563-kristen], Andréa St.Jules [https://substack.com/profile/214343505-andrea-stjules], Eva [https://substack.com/profile/7985345-eva], Guy Whitworth [https://substack.com/profile/398069840-guy-whitworth], Rachel [https://substack.com/profile/2468177-rachel], and many others for tuning in! I appreciate you being part of the community here. Upcoming: In my next Live video we will be learning from Christine Staricka [https://substack.com/profile/40070489-christine-staricka] about what it would take to get circadian rhythm education properly addressed in the field of lactation support. Save the date! January 6th at 12:30 PM Pacific. RSVP here [https://luma.com/sluj864o]. (also, if you are interested in this, you may also be interested in my Quantum Breastfeeding class, included with your paid subscription here [https://www.brighterdaysdarkernights.com/p/quantum-breastfeeding-class] or a la carte here [https://shop.nikkokennedy.com/products/quantum-breastfeeding-class-replay]). We also have 2 new classes coming up inside Brighter Days, Darker Nights, which are also free for paid subscribers (or you can purchase a guest ticket on the event page if you are not yet ready to commit to a paid subscription): * Circadian Polyphasic Sleep Training - 90 minute parent class [https://luma.com/qrzpzb85] on January 8th at 10:00 AM Pacific, in which you’ll learn the practicalities of how to create the circadian rhythm conditions to thrive in spite of interrupted sleep * Circadian Polyphasic Sleep Training - 3 hour practitioner-level workshop [https://luma.com/sb53pzev] on January 15th at 1:00 PM Pacific, in which you’ll learn the science of deliberately consolidating or unconsolidating sleep using light, the circadian rhythm, and sleep pressure, including when each pattern might be most appropriate such as for extreme latitudes and climates, an acute healing crisis, night shift/swing shift, and of course, postpartum It’s always a joy to share the amazing power of light and darkness with you! Feel free to reply or leave a comment if you have any questions. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.brighterdaysdarkernights.com/subscribe [https://www.brighterdaysdarkernights.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

How circadian rhythms affect your period (And how morning light reversed Rachel’s PMDD)

“I wouldn’t wish PMDD on anybody, but I’m profoundly thankful for my journey.” ~Rachel den Otter, founder of 5th Vital Nutrition In Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), disruptions of circadian rhythms are known in recent literature. But most practitioners don’t make the connection between the menstrual symptoms their clients report and the circadian disruption in their lives from artificial light at night, mistimed eating, and lack of daylight and darkness. Thankfully, we have a growing field of new practitioners, like Rachel den Otter [https://substack.com/profile/212661744-rachel-den-otter], who are integrating circadian rhythm wisdom into the powerful work they do. Rachel is a certified health coach, Board Certified Holistic Nutrition (candidate), with a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition, who also understands the science of circadian biology and how it plays out in disrupted menstrual cycles. Not only does she have a strong health and wellness background, but direct personal experience with how horrible life can be with a dysfunctional menstrual cycle. By making a few changes to her routine, she reversed her PMDD! This was after a) her progesterone treatment had backfired in a shocking way, and b) she had done intensive nutritional healing that was helpful, but didn’t fully resolve her symptoms. Living with PMS or PMDD is a huge challenge, and one she hopes other women will likewise discover a way out of. Since healing, Rachel actually enjoys being a woman—a gift we hope this story imparts to women of any age who are still navigating complicated menstrual cycle problems, whether PMS, PMDD, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, or infertility. All of these conditions are correlated with poor circadian health. Here’s a quick description of how it works: * The circadian rhythm is programed by light/dark cycles, feed/fast cycles, and connection to the earth via grounding and regulates the endocrine system * The endocrine system controls the hormonal surges that lead to the full completion of the menstrual rhythm each cycle * Flattened or weak circadian rhythms, which often result from lack of amplitude in the day/night cycle (ie, dim days and bright nights), makes it so the endocrine system doesn’t know when to surge which hormones * Disrupted circadian rhythms = disrupted endocrine rhythms = metabolic and reproductive challenges * Restoring circadian health is a quick way to stabilize and strengthen these rhythms, especially for women who are doing everything else “right” with regard to nutrition and exercise but who still suffer from painful or irregular periods But there’s much more to be said about this topic (and especially for what the specific day-to-day changes are that help balance infradian and circadian rhythms for women). In this episode of the Brighter Days, Darker Nights live podcast you’ll hear about: * how morning light and grounding was the key that put Rachel on a healing path * the devastating side effects of the progesterone treatment she was prescribed for her PMDD * the nutrition and exercise decisions that eased her symptoms (though not fully healing them) * the mistakes made along the way—and importantly, how she corrected course * Rachel’s mission to help other women also have easy periods like she now enjoys Connect with Rachel on her website for her 6 week program [https://www.racheldenotter.com/], and on IG for occasional free information [https://www.instagram.com/5thvitalnutrition] about how she regulates her cycle and the changes you can make to improve your nutrition and daily rhythms. Thank you to everyone who tuned in live with us! Upcoming events with Nikko: * Join my next live video with Sarah Kleiner [https://substack.com/profile/327516813-sarah-kleiner] on December 29th, 2025 at 12 PM PT / 3 PM ET [https://open.substack.com/live-stream/88565?] to learn even more about circadian rhythms, hormones and metabolism. * If you are exploring the possibility of becoming a circadian- and quantum-informed practitioner or in conducting circadian/quantum research and case studies under my mentorship (alongside other expert faculty, including Leland Stillman, MD [https://substack.com/profile/12498255-leland-stillman-md], Dr Sara Pugh [https://substack.com/profile/209908679-dr-sara-pugh], and Sarah Kleiner [https://substack.com/profile/327516813-sarah-kleiner]) at the Institute of Applied Quantum Biology [https://www.iaqb.foundation/], we are hosting an info session on December 17th, 2025 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. RSVP for the free AQB community event here [https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/75eyqXFkSpW03xmWB4VfgQ?os=ipad#/registration]. Related → You may also be interested on these past articles about circadian health for women: If you’d like to support my work beyond your subscription, you are welcome to make a donation here [https://shop.nikkokennedy.com/products/donations]. Thank you! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.brighterdaysdarkernights.com/subscribe [https://www.brighterdaysdarkernights.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]