How to manage your biological clock

The change of sleep and wakefulness is carried out thanks to the clear guidance of the biological clock. Many physiological processes in the body also depend on human biorhythms. From how the awakening occurs, how much and how a person sleeps, well-being throughout the day depends. If insomnia overcomes the whole night, and in the morning it is impossible to wake up – this means that the biological clock has gone astray and the body cannot yet get used to the new living conditions. Consider the key points of the theory of human biorhythm control from the book on the correct healthy lifestyle by Martha Roberts.

What is the human biological clock and how does it affect well-being

Have you ever noticed that waking up with the sun is much easier and faster than when it's dark and raining.

Human biological clock – this is a response mechanism in the body, which manifests itself as a result of the influence of the environment on a person.

When the level of natural light is high, the day starts early and ends late (summer period), human productivity increases, the work of the nervous system accelerates, and the susceptibility of the brain becomes aggravated. With weak light in the autumn-winter period, it is difficult to wake up, because the sun rises late and it becomes dark early. At night, many processes in the body are dulled: mental activity declines, the nervous system slows down, a person slowly prepares to go to bed.

Read also: 7 rules of vitality of the body from early morning

Thus, human biological clock is interdependent on the level of light and the season.

What processes govern circadian rhythms? The body understands that the level of illumination is falling and the length of daylight hours is reduced due to receptors (on the skin, retina). The control center for biorhythms is located in the brain – hypothalamus. As the sun goes down, when the amount of light begins to decrease, this information enters the brain through neural connections, which sets in motion the acceleration of melatonin production. The hormone melatonin dulls the work of the nervous system and a person feels weakness, loss of strength, drowsiness. Thus, the body prepares for sleep. In the morning, when the light level increases, the bright sun starts the process of reducing the production of melatonin. As the amount of melatonin decreases, the person wakes up and feels alert and rested.<

Read also:

How to be an early bird: changing biorhythms

According to the latest studies of the biological clock, a person's wakefulness is divided into the most productive hours for physical training (15.00-18.00), mental work (10.00-13.00), motivation (9.00-10.00).

The author of the book, Martha Roberts, argues that the division of people into owls and larks is inappropriate from the side of habit. A person is a lark from birth, and in the process of life persistent habits are developed to wake up and go to bed at the same time. Thus, the internal biological clock of a person can be controlled and managed. People who are accustomed to going to bed late and waking up too late feel longer in a bad mood, get sick more and cannot cope with the blues in the cold season.

Man has artificially created for his body the prerequisites for the running of the biological clock, not at all relying on the light cycle.

Korean scientists from the University  Sun-Chun-Hyan came to the conclusion that the human biological clock is directly related to the feeling of happiness and life satisfaction. Observing the work of people in various conditions, the following trends were found:

people who work in shifts (three or two days in a row) are prone to depression and dissatisfaction with their lives;
those who work in dark semi-basement premises, which, apart from artificial lighting, do not receive sunlight, often complain of a bad mood;
the happiest people were those who work 8 hours a day from 9-10 am to 17-18 pm.

It is very easy to break the course of your biological clock, it is more difficult to establish susceptibility to biorhythms and learn how to manage them.

Read also:

Scientists have found a way to reset the biological clock

9 Tips on How to Manage Your Biological Clock

We offer you to use effective tips on how to manage your biological clock. The habits you develop will teach you how to properly set your internal clock and forget about drowsiness and fatigue forever.

In the summer it is better to go to bed and get up with the sun. In the cold season, accustom yourself to the same time of getting out of bed and going to bed, so that the body clearly knows at what time you need to be ready to sleep and when to wake up. In winter, one should go to bed no later than 23.00.
Of course, you also need to relax and have fun, but do not break the first rule more than 1-2 times a month.
Try to walk more during the day to enrich your body with vitamin D. Hiking in the fresh air is always beneficial, especially when the sun is shining outside. In addition to the fact that your biological clock will gradually return to normal, your mood will also rise. When there is not enough sun outside, eat more foods that contain vitamin D (eggs, dairy products).
Do not turn on the lights in all rooms in the evening to deceive your body. Create a natural shading environment in your home. So you can fall asleep faster.
Your habits also affect the course of your body clock. The way you behave before going to bed (when you take a bath, listen to soothing music), this is how the process of falling asleep happens. Taking a warm bath, comfortable pajamas, a book, music, aromatherapy – these are the signals that the body can perceive as a call that it's time to sleep. By creating a ritual for falling asleep and waking up, you make life easier.
Control your meal and diet: breakfast should be hearty, lunch – to maintain mental work, dinner – light and loose so as not to burden the stomach.
Stop sugar before bed – a sharp jump in his blood will only encourage and drive away sleep. And the awakening of the hormone cortisol under the influence of raging sugar in the bloodstream will result in activity, insomnia and irritability.
Melatonin tablets are useful in case of disruption of circadian rhythms during a flight for those who like to travel.
Limit your coffee intake. This invigorating drink will cheer you up for a short time, after which only a breakdown, dehydration and hunger will remain.

Everyone can manage their biological clock, it is only necessary to properly adjust the daily routine, food intake and acquire rituals, traditions, when to go to bed and how to wake up in order to immediately feel cheerful.