Have you ever woken up in the morning feeling groggy, heavy-eyed, and as though you had not slept in days? Rising in the morning is one of the hardest decisions. I would even call sleeping one of my hobbies if I could; but, what if there is more to this tired feeling then not getting enough sleep?
Have you ever woken up right before your alarm went off, and wondered how on earth your body knew when to start the day? It is almost like magic.
Well, the body is pretty magical, so get ready to have your mind blown. Your body has an inner clock, and that device is called your circadian rhythm. It operates 24 hours a day and does not get any vacations, imagine having those working conditions!
While you are sleeping, your circadian rhythm is well at work, keeping track of when you are supposed to wake up, by timing your sleep cycles.
I am sure you have heard the word sleep cycle, it is quite commonly used, so let’s dive into the science of sleep cycles. Your body goes through 90-minute sleep cycles, changing from REM to non-REM sleep. The average person goes through four cycles a night.
Your brain knows when you are supposed to wake up. Your body spends the last sleep cycle preparing for you to rise and shine.
When your alarm goes off and you hit the snooze button, your body enters into another sleep cycle, confusing your brain into thinking another 90 minutes are available. After the next alarm cuts through one’s rest, you find yourself even more exhausted, this state is called sleep inertia; Commonly characterized as a person’s brain unable to shake off sleep and entering into autopilot.
Try this, go to bed at the same time every night, and wake up when the alarm orders you to. Your brain will gain a precise sleep schedule, and you will feel ready to take on the day.
Works Cited
Barr, Sabrina. “Why Pressing Snooze Button is not Good for Body or Bain” Independent, 15,
August 2018
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