What is the human biological clock? The body’s “biological clock” is a 24-hour cycle that runs from day to night. It is affected by light and darkness and reminds the body when to sleep and when to wake up. The 24-hour biological clock performs many important functions for the human body, such as: sleep and wakefulness body temperature rhythms fluid balance other physiological functions, such as hunger when it is time to eat. Does the biological clock affect sleep? Yes, the biological clock affects our sleep through melatonin. Melatonin is an endocrine hormone that helps the body fall asleep and maintain sleep. There is a circadian rhythm to the production of melatonin, with more being produced at night. During the day, bright light signals the body to produce less melatonin. However, if you work in artificial light at night, the body’s production of melatonin is also reduced by light. Some people’s circadian rhythms are not quite the same as most people’s. They either like to stay up late and have to wait until late at night to fall asleep; or they go to bed very early. Some people’s circadian rhythms are normal, but if they have to work night shifts, they need to adjust their biological clocks to the new routine. What can affect the biological clock? Certain causes may affect the body’s production of melatonin, which can lead to sleep problems. 1. Jet lag Crossing different time zones can disrupt the biological clock. After a long flight, the body has arrived at a new time zone, but the biological clock is still stuck in the original time zone, not adjusted in time, thus creating a variety of sleep problems. For example, if you fly from Beijing to New York, you will cross 13 time zones, which means Beijing time is 13 hours earlier than New York. When you arrive in New York at 7am, your body is still at 20pm Beijing time. Although a brand new day in New York has just begun, your body is already feeling sleepy. If you have to work night shifts, your biological clock has to be reset so we can sleep during the day. This seems simple enough, but it’s not. Those who work night shifts or shift work often have sleep problems, they can’t sleep during the day, and when they need to work at night, they feel very tired. 3, sleep environment bright light and noise will affect sleep, will make the body think that now is not the time to sleep. 4. Illnesses and medications Certain illnesses and health problems can affect sleep, such as dementia, cranial injuries, coma recovery, and severe anxiety. In addition, some drugs that affect the central nervous system can also affect sleep. 5, alcohol Alcohol can also have an effect on sleep. If you drink before going to bed, although it may not affect sleep, but it may lead to wake up in the middle of the night. Second, how to adjust the biological clock? Here is a list of ways to cope with some common problems, I hope it can help you. 1.Jet lag If plagued by jet lag, taking melatonin supplements may help adjust your biological clock. Some studies have shown that melatonin can alleviate the symptoms of jet lag syndrome for people who frequently travel across continents. However, the safety and effectiveness of melatonin has not been fully clarified. Taking melatonin in large doses over a long period of time, and when taken with certain medications, can lead to a number of listed adverse effects. Therefore, it is important to consult your doctor before taking melatonin-containing supplements. In addition to this, certain sleeping pills such as dexzopiclone (Sulphasalazine) and zolpidem (Ambien) may also be helpful for jet lag. However, these medications may also have side effects such as headaches, dizziness and gastrointestinal upset. If you need to take them, make sure you follow your doctor’s advice. 2, shift work If you have to work night shifts for work, the following suggestions can help us sleep better: no bright light in the bedroom, pull thick curtains or wear a sleep mask; keep the room quiet, or wear earplugs to isolate the noise; do not drink caffeinated beverages a few hours before bedtime; do not drink alcohol before bedtime, and especially do not use alcohol to help you sleep; if the conditions allow, you can take a nap during the break time; if you feel strongly uncomfortable, you can consult a doctor, and if you feel that you are not feeling well, consult a doctor. Strong discomfort, you can consult a doctor to see if you need to take dietary supplements or drugs. 3, night owls If you are a habit of going to bed very late at night and getting up very late in the daytime night owls, and worry about the current sleep routine affects the work and study, you can try the following methods may help you go to sleep earlier, and sleep better. Wake up at a regular time every day, regardless of when you go to bed. On weekends (or days when you don’t need to get up early), don’t get up more than an hour later than your usual wake-up time, even if you don’t have to. If this doesn’t work, but you desperately desire to adjust your routine, visit a hospital sleep specialist. Your doctor will help you adjust your biological clock in a specialized way after assessing your health and sleep situation. The following are some of the methods that may be used in the clinic: (1) Light therapy Light therapy generally uses a high-brightness artificial light box to simulate sunlight, so that people with sleep disorders can be exposed to the light box at specific times, thus suppressing the secretion of melatonin and achieving the effect of regulating the biological clock. For different sleep disorders, the time of exposure and the intensity of light are different. (2) Time therapy Night owls need to go to bed a few hours later every night for a few consecutive days under the guidance of a doctor to reset the biological clock. Time therapy usually lasts for about 2 weeks. This method is very challenging and requires avoiding various cues about natural time in the environment, and needs to be strictly implemented in hospitals. 4. Maintain good sleep habits Once the ideal biological clock has been adjusted, the next thing you need to do is to develop a good sleep habit. This includes regular exercise (but please do not exercise within 4 hours before bedtime), go to bed at a fixed time every day, and do not do things that have nothing to do with sleep, such as office work or reading in bed.