The Cudumi Course Library
Self-paced online workshops on biological rhythms, circadian science, and the body's natural timing. Take them in sequence or jump to whatever you're curious about.
Start here: the essentials
These workshops build the conceptual foundation for everything else in the library. If you're new to chronobiology, this is the natural starting point.
Your Internal Clock: How It Works
The suprachiasmatic nucleus, master clock function, peripheral clocks in organs and tissues. How your body maintains a roughly 24-hour cycle and what happens when it gets disrupted.
- The SCN and master clock function
- Peripheral clocks throughout the body
- Clock genes and molecular mechanisms
- What disruption looks like biologically
Light as a Timing Signal
How light enters the eye, travels to the clock, and resets your circadian phase. Covers the role of melanopsin, blue light sensitivity, and the timing of light exposure across the day.
- Photoreceptors and the circadian pathway
- Morning vs. evening light effects
- Artificial light and clock disruption
Temperature and the Body Clock
Core body temperature follows a circadian rhythm that's closely tied to sleep and wakefulness. This workshop explains the temperature-sleep relationship and what it tells us about biological timing.
- The core temperature rhythm
- Temperature and sleep onset
- How the body dissipates heat before sleep
Energy, focus, and physical timing
Once you understand the foundations, these workshops explore how biological rhythms intersect with cognitive and physical performance throughout the day.
Reading Your Daily Energy Map
Alertness, reaction time, and cognitive clarity all follow predictable circadian patterns. This workshop maps those patterns and explores the individual factors that shape them.
- The alertness rhythm across 24 hours
- Post-lunch dip: biology or habit?
- Peak windows for different task types
- Factors that shift your personal pattern
Physical Activity and Biological Timing
Exercise timing interacts with circadian biology in ways that are still being actively researched. This workshop covers what's known, what's uncertain, and how the relationship works biologically.
- Muscle performance across the day
- Cardiovascular response and timing
- Exercise as a clock-setting signal
- Individual variation in exercise timing response
Ultradian Rhythms and Focus Cycles
Shorter than circadian, ultradian rhythms create roughly 90-minute cycles of higher and lower arousal throughout the day. This workshop explains what they are and what they mean for sustained attention.
- What ultradian rhythms are
- The basic rest-activity cycle
- Recognizing your own cycle patterns
Rest, sleep, and the repair cycle
Recovery is where adaptation happens. These workshops go deeper into sleep science and the biology of restoration.
The Science of Rest Windows
Daytime rest isn't just about napping. Your nervous system moves through cycles of higher and lower arousal throughout the day, and understanding those windows changes how you think about breaks and recovery.
- Types of rest beyond sleep
- The ultradian rest window
- Biological signals of a needed rest
- What happens physiologically during rest
Sleep Architecture Explained
NREM and REM sleep serve different biological functions. This workshop explains the stages of sleep, how they cycle through the night, and what each stage contributes to the body's restoration process.
- NREM stages and slow-wave sleep
- REM sleep function and timing
- Sleep cycle structure across the night
- What disrupts architecture and why it matters
Individual timing differences
Not everyone's clock runs on the same schedule. These workshops explore the biology of chronotypic variation and what it means for how people experience time and energy.
Understanding Chronotype Biology
Morning and evening preferences have a biological basis. This workshop covers the genetics, physiology, and environmental factors that determine where someone falls on the chronotype spectrum.
- The genetic basis of chronotype
- How chronotype shifts across the lifespan
- Social jetlag and chronotype mismatch
- Assessing your own chronotype tendency
Seasonal Patterns and Infradian Rhythms
Beyond daily cycles, the body also responds to seasonal changes in light and temperature. This workshop introduces infradian rhythms and the biology of seasonal variation in energy and mood.
- What infradian rhythms are
- Seasonal light changes and the clock
- Biological responses to shorter days
Questions about the workshops?
We're happy to help you figure out where to start. Get in touch and we'll point you in the right direction.
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