Feeling sleepy after school starts? Here are 3 tips to help you adjust your biological clock!

During such a long holiday, many people have become "American jet-lagged"? They sleep during the day and have fun at night, and even can't fall asleep at night, as if their biological clock has adapted to the reversed day and night life.

In the first few days of school, have you adjusted your biological clock?

How the biological clock is formed - I wind myself up

Most organisms in nature have periodic fluctuations in their behaviors and physiological phenomena. This intrinsic rhythmicity of their life activities is called a "biological clock" or "biological rhythm."

When it comes to the biological clock, most people think that it simply refers to the "circadian biological clock" of about 24 hours in the body, but in fact the biological clock covers a wide range, such as the "ultradian biological clock" with a shorter period or the "monthly rhythm" and "annual rhythm" with a longer period.

It is the existence of these different biological clocks that allows organisms to prepare and adjust corresponding physiological functions in advance to cope with changes in environmental factors such as temperature and humidity (unless otherwise specified below, biological clocks refer to the recent biological clock).

Image source: donews

The biological clock is like our own "body steward", always reminding us when we violate the laws of time too much. But where does this body steward come from?

In the 18th century, French scientist Jean Jacques d'Ortous de Mairan discovered when studying mimosa that the leaves of mimosa are always open during the day and closed at night, and this pattern will always be maintained even if it is placed in a dark environment.

At the same time, scientists discovered that when studying Drosophila melanogaster, the time when the adults of this fruit fly emerge from their pupae is not random. They only emerge from their pupae at a specific time of the day and show a rhythm close to 24 hours.

Many subsequent similar experiments have led scientists to believe that the biological clock is an innate "talent" of organisms. Scholars believe that in the early stages of biological evolution, the existence of this rhythm allowed the replication of the DNA of organisms to always take place at night, thus protecting them from high-intensity ultraviolet radiation during the day.

Top: During the day, the leaves of the mimosa open towards the sunlight, and at dusk, the leaves close; Bottom: When the mimosa is placed in a dark environment, even without the day-night changes in light, the leaves still open and close according to the original circadian rhythm. Image source: Nobelförsamligen

Since this rhythm is endogenous, scientists then began to study the various mechanisms behind the biological clock.

Studies have found that the biological clock of mammals is mainly controlled by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) located in the brain. The SCN is also known as the master clock of the biological clock. It can receive light signals transmitted from the retina. Sub-clocks located in peripheral organs and tissues also participate in the regulation in an auxiliary manner, together forming a multi-level biological clock system.

In 2017, three American geneticists, Jeffrey Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael Young, discovered the molecular mechanism that controls the biological clock and won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Winners (left to right): Jeffrey Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael Young, photo courtesy dy.163

Their research used fruit flies as a model and discovered the existence of period genes (rhythm genes) and PER proteins encoded by these genes in organisms. Rhythm genes control related physiological activities by regulating the concentration of PER proteins during the day and night.

The period gene of fruit flies plays an important role in the circadian rhythm. This gene can encode the PER protein. The PER protein accumulates at night and degrades during the day. Image source: Nobelförsamligen

The dangers of biological clock disruption

Although the diligent biological clock keeps sending information to the human body, contemporary rebellious teenagers are "skilled and bold" and do not sleep at night or wake up during the day.

This kind of behavior of actively violating the biological clock often makes people in the medical and aviation industries shed tears. Due to work requirements, they often reverse their day and night, which disrupts their biological clock.

These disturbances can lead to difficulty sleeping, difficulty staying awake during the day, or clinical insomnia, and some people even have advanced sleep disorders.

Image source: Internet

These occupational diseases show that long-term violation of circadian rhythms does have an impact on body functions. The biological clock is related to many physiological functions, such as body temperature, metabolism, hormone secretion, etc. at different times, which are all regulated by the biological clock.

If a person's work and rest schedule is inconsistent with the body's biological clock for a long time, it may have adverse effects on normal physiological functions. At the same time, irregular sleep cycles may also be a cause of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.

Other studies have shown that the biological clock can affect a person's mental health, and that a disordered biological clock may cause mental illnesses such as depression and bipolar disorder.

Image source: Flickr

In short, a disrupted biological clock can do more harm than good. If the biological clock is disrupted for a long time and it is difficult to get enough sleep, it may have a negative impact on the health of the body in many aspects.

How to maintain and improve your biological clock?

The holiday is over. For some students who are about to return to or have already started campus life, how to adjust their biological clock and rebuild a regular schedule is what you need. What you need is a biological clock first aid guide.

Moderate exercise: Studies have found that exercise can improve the biological clock rhythm. It is recommended to choose appropriate intensity exercise during the day, such as jogging, walking, etc. Adjust your diet: If your diet is irregular during the holidays and breakfast often becomes lunch, it is recommended to adjust your eating habits, have three meals a day, and try not to eat before going to bed. Ensure sleep: Control the time of sleep during the day and improve the quality of sleep at night. It is recommended that you try to reduce the time of staying up late, avoid using electronic devices before going to bed, and create a comfortable sleeping environment.
Good sleep is good for health. Image source: Flickr
The above methods can help maintain the stability of the biological clock, but everyone's physical condition is different. If you cannot maintain a normal biological clock for a long time, you should consider seeking professional help from a doctor.
References: Guo Jinhu. Research progress on biological clock and important frontier scientific issues. China Science Foundation. 3(2014):179-186. Wang Chunyan. Research progress on the relationship between biological clock disorder and related diseases. Clinical and Pathological Miscellany. 4(2015):676-680.END

Review expert: Ji Shi, observer in the field of life.

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