We all know of that friend who can barely catch sleep before 3 am in the morning, and cannot get out of bed before noon. Sometimes we assume they are lazy, but this is not the case. Everybody has their internal clock that runs their life. The body clock works on a fascinating mechanism, and here are some things you should know.
1. The clock develops early in life
Your internal clock kicks off in your brain a few months after you are born. It is located within the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN), within the hypothalamus. It controls the circadian rhythms, which are the 24-hour cycles of waking and sleeping. They are controlled by the body temperature as well as the secretion of sleep-related hormones.
2. Your internal clock is controlled by dark and light
Have you ever wondered why you could barely catch any sleep while in a bright room? This is because the inner clock corresponds to darkness and light. It becomes alert when in the light and sleepier while in the night. It secretes a hormone known as melatonin while in the dark, and when the hormone’s drop, one experiences a feeling of wakefulness.
3. You can control your internal clock
If your inner clock goes off, which might happen at times, there are a few ways to get it back on track. For example, if you are having a difficult time sleeping, avoid the blue light from computer or television screens. You can also develop a sleep routine and rituals to boost the functioning of the clock.
4. The body clocks of teenagers are programmed differently
You might have already noted that teenagers sleep very late. This is because their sleep phase experiences a delay since their melatonin levels rise later in the night than most children and adults. This makes it very challenging for them to catch sleep before 11 pm.