(cont..)
Whether you’re a night owl or a morning lark your sleep habits are regulated by circadian rhythms.
Our internal clocks
Nearly every cell in your body contains a molecular clock.
Every 24 hours or so dedicated clock proteins interact with one another in a slow dance.
Over the course of a day this slow dance results in the timely expression of genes.
This controls when particular processes will occur in your body – such as the release of hormones like sleep-promoting melatonin.
Why are heart attacks and strokes two to three times more common in the early morning?
Chalk that up to our internal clocks – which coordinate an increase in blood pressure in the morning to help you wake up.
Why should teens listen to their parents’ pleas to go to bed?
Because human growth hormone is secreted only once a day – linked to sleeping at night.
Nearly every biological function is intimately linked to our internal clocks.(cont..)
Source: Scientists are unraveling the mystery of your body’s clock – Salon.com
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