Why is Our Body Clock So Important?
Our waking hours expose us to daylight which, in turn, triggers a trillion clocks throughout every tissue and organ of our body.
The Circadian rhythm is a natural process that regulates the sleep–wake cycle and influences how organisms react and respond to changes in the environment throughout the day.
It is important to appreciate that our very survival relies on living in sync with this internal timing system.
We all know how staying up late can make it pretty difficult to get out of bed the next morning. Inevitably, it increases the chance of sleeping in.
This becomes problematic as the body must now attempt to adjust to this change in sleep pattern.
Sleeping in late just once can have a rippling effect on our body clock and is quite disruptive.
When Melatonin, the sleep signalling hormone, is knocked off schedule, even from one night of disrupted sleep, it makes it harder to get to bed early the next night. If your alarm clock startles you out of your morning dreams, a domino effect happens that leads to increased stress on the heart (Walker 2018).
Leanne & Fitness Tips Say:
Having a steady sleep schedule helps your sleep mechanisms function optimally. Staying awake too late and losing out on sleep leads to an increased production of coping hormones cortisol and adrenaline.
This then results in the sleep pressure neuromodulator, Adenosine, not being cleared from your body properly, leaving you feeling tired and sluggish.
When you feel like this you are more likely to seek out caffeine and sugary drinks and foods, which can then inhibit sleep further. This becomes a hard cycle to break!
Waking up at the same time, in a natural manner every day and with lots of energy, is something to strive towards! Get to bed at a reasonable time every night (yes, even on the weekend!) and your body and mind will thank you for it.
