Nighttime Sleep and Your Biological Clock
Our brain regulates sleep with two processes. The first is the restorative process whereby sleep occurs naturally in response to how long we have been awake. The longer we are awake, the stronger the drive to go to sleep. The circadian biological clock located in our brain controls the second process of the timing of sleep and wakefulness during the day-night cycle. This part of the brain, the SCN or suprachiasmatic nucleus, is influenced by light so we naturally get sleepy at night when it is dark and feel active during the day when it is light. The circadian biological clock also regulates bodily functions according to need while we sleep. These functions include hormone secretion, regulation of blood pressure, and kidney functions. Research even indicates that memory is consolidated during sleep.
This "clock" in the brain runs on a 24-hour cycle with the result we feel most sleepy around 2:00-4:00 am and in the afternoon around 1:00-3:00 pm. We need to have continuous uninterrupted sleep that becomes restorative in order to feel refreshed and alert for the day ahead. Establishing a regular bed and wake schedule and achieving continuous sleep helps you sleep in accordance with your internal biological circadian clock and experience all the sleep stages necessary to reap the restorative, energizing and revitalizing benefits of sleep.
Excepted from http://www.sleepfoundation.org
| Contact one of our Sleep Experts at 1-877-856-7378 for more help on how to improve the quality of your sleep. Our state-of-the-art range of visco elastic memory foam products - beds, mattresses, mattress pads, and toppers, pillows and other home bedding products is designed to increase your personal comfort and improve your sleep. Now enjoy the best rest of your life! |
See Our Biological Clock and Memory Foam Adjustable Beds
