Clocking Off

Thanks to our internal rhythms or Body Clock, there's a right time to do everything
They tell us when to get up or when we’re running late for work and whether we are in danger of missing our favourite TV programme.But while our daily routines rely on clocks that tell us the time, science is discovering that our well being is influenced by a very different kind of timepiece.
Circadian rhythms – the human body’s own internal clock – exert a powerful influence on our health and behaviour.
They are programmed from birth and control functions ranging from temperature and blood pressure to hormone levels and sleep patterns.
In recent years researchers have also discovered this built-in mechanism can influence everything from the way we react to prescription drugs to how well we learn music.
The latest example, from experts at Harvard University in the US,  shows that the human body clock can even dictate whether or not we are likely to tell the truth.
Researchers found it was easier for people to fib in the afternoon because as they tired the self?control that would normally prevent them from lying started to break down.
Tiredness made it harder to resist the temptation to tell lies – especially if it meant they got a financial reward at the end.
“The body clock has a truly profound effect on us all,” says Professor Jim Horne from the Sleep Research Centre at Loughborough University.
“Most people tend to feel good around late morning and then slump in the early afternoon. But the time most of us feel at our best is between 6pm and 8pm. That’s because sleepiness tends to build up throughout the day.
"By early evening our body clock kicks in to wake us up. One reason may be to ensure we get home safely. When our ancestors were coming home after hunting all day their internal clocks kicked in to get them home in one piece.”
So what affects do circadian rhythms have and what’s the best time of day to capitalise on them?
7am to 8am: Weigh yourself
If you’re watching your weight it’s best to step on the scales first thing in the morning – before you have had anything to eat or drink.
At this time of day you are more likely to get a true indication of your real weight as the stomach is unlikely to have had any food for around 12 hours.
8am to 9am: Have sex
Couples trying to conceive might be more likely to succeed if they have sex in the morning rather than at night.
That’s because some studies suggest a man’s sperm count is higher first thing in the morning, in line with raised testosterone levels.
It’s not clear why but lack of stress in the morning may be a factor.
9am to 10am: Have a cholesterol test
High cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease and getting an accurate reading can be difficult.
Doctors recommend fasting for 12 hours before a blood sample is taken so food in the system is digested.
This helps to produce an accurate reading of both types of cholesterol, the “good” high-density lipoprotein and “bad” low-density type.
The best time to weight yourself is first thing in the morning
Most people tend to feel good around late morning and then slump in the early afternoon. But the time most of us feel at our best is between 6pm and 8pm
10am to noon: Go for a job interview
Trying to impress a prospective employer is never easy but recruitment experts often recommend aiming to get a morning job interview.
Candidates will be at their sharpest, while interviewers are less likely to be tired and will be easier to engage.
Noon to 1pm: Take painkillers
More than one million people in Britain regularly take pills to ease the agony of osteoarthritis and taking them at the right time is crucial.
One Canadian study showed that in 40 per cent of patients the pain was at its worst between 2pm and 8pm.
Doctors therefore recommend taking medication around lunchtime to mid-afternoon to stop the pain before it gets a grip.
1pm to 2pm: Eat a large meal
The body can burn a lot of energy just by digesting food. So if you plan on going to the gym after work the best time to eat is about two or three hours before you start.
By the time you hit the treadmill your body will have finished digesting the last meal and can concentrate instead on pumping blood to your hard-working muscles.
2pm to 3pm: Drink coffee
Most of us have an energy dip after lunch when the body’s metabolism slows right down.
One study even pinpointed 2.16pm as the exact time that the body’s energy levels bottom out.
Drinking caffeine-rich coffee may be all it takes to get us through this slowdown.
3pm to 4pm: Take a nap
It may not go down well with the boss but the best time for a nap is usually mid-afternoon.
That’s because naps taken during this time are less likely to interfere with night-time sleep.
Try not to doze for more than 10 or 15 minutes or else you’ll wake feeling groggy.
4pm to 5pm: Clean the house
Airborne allergens such as pollen and house-dust mites can cause havoc for those with runny noses and asthma.
Dusting shelves and vacuuming throws allergens up into the air and it can take at least an hour for them to settle back at ground level again.
Clean before any allergy-suffering members of the family get home from school or work.

Night time is the best moment to learn music
5pm to 7pm: Exercise
Late afternoon or early evening is the peak time for exercise.
That’s because the lungs are working at maximum efficiency.
Scientists who studied 4,800 patients over five years found their lung function peaked at around 5pm.
The body’s core temperature has also hit its maximum, speeding up the conduction of nerve impulses and making co-ordination and movement easier.
7pm to 8pm: Solve problems
For most adults problems that require open-ended thinking are often best tackled in the evening when they are tired, according to a study in the journal Thinking & Reasoning.
When 428 students were asked to solve problems requiring novel thinking they performed better in the evening when they were tired.
Experts think fatigue may allow the mind to wander more freely to explore alternative solutions.
8pm to 9pm: Enjoy your last cuppa
Caffeine can stay in your system for several hours and disrupt sleeping patterns.
Make sure you have your last tea or coffee by 9pm at the latest so it’s out of your system by bedtime.
And stop eating now too.
Research in the journal Obesity shows eating high-fat foods at night can double weight gain compared with during the day.
The body is less efficient at burning up energy during sleep.
9pm: Learn music
Psychologists at the University of Freiburg in Germany discovered teenagers learn music better in the evening than the afternoon.
A group of 16-year-old girls were asked to perform a finger-tapping task at 3pm or 9pm.
Each one was tested 24 hours later to see how well they performed and again after seven days.
Those who learned the task at night remembered it much better both a day and a week later.
10pm to 11pm: Take your cholesterol pills
More than seven million people in the UK take statins to lower their cholesterol.
And the best time to take them, says the British Heart Foundation, is before bedtime.
That’s because more cholesterol is produced while you sleep.
Some research suggests patients who switch to taking their medicines in the morning, rather than night, can see a significant increase in levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol.
Tick,tock,tick,tock

(Source. Daily Express Newspapers)