0:00:04 > 0:00:06Throughout my life on radio and television,
0:00:06 > 0:00:11I've had to do things, not just by the book, but by the clock.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14It's 18 minutes to 10:00.
0:00:14 > 0:00:19Whether it's managing the precise timings of a radio show...
0:00:19 > 0:00:22or the unstoppable deadlines of live TV...
0:00:22 > 0:00:24Only 35 minutes to go.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32..the rigours of the clock has ruled everything I do.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34But not just me.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38For all of us, the time we wake, the time we eat, the time we sleep,
0:00:38 > 0:00:42the time we play, is dictated by modern life.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46We all seem to be in such a rush, constantly running out of time.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50One in five of us now do shift work,
0:00:50 > 0:00:54all to provide everything 24/7 society demands.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56Just to keep it ticking along.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02But odd as it may sound, there's another clock ticking.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05It's a biological clock. The human body clock.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08We ignore it at our peril.
0:01:09 > 0:01:14Tonight, we reveal that inside every one of us is a ticking clock.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17A body clock which dictates when we should
0:01:17 > 0:01:21and shouldn't be doing almost everything in our lives.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25If you go to the gym early morning or late at night,
0:01:25 > 0:01:27you might need to think again.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31Have you ever wondered why alcohol affects you more at lunchtime?
0:01:31 > 0:01:34Understand the body clock and you'll understand why.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38I've found my vocation at last. Pouring drinks.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42Now, incredibly, there's a best time for you to go to work,
0:01:42 > 0:01:46drive your car and even go to the dentist.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48Want to know why?
0:01:48 > 0:01:50Well, stick with me and you'll find out.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53This is the ultimate guide to the body clock.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04The first thing you have to do
0:02:04 > 0:02:06is to find out what kind of a body clock you have.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09Are you a lark, or are you an owl?
0:02:09 > 0:02:11A little thing you can all do
0:02:11 > 0:02:14is to think about what time you like to get up in the morning,
0:02:14 > 0:02:16rather than what time you have to get up.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19ALARM
0:02:19 > 0:02:21Generally like to get up at about 9:00am.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24Any later than that, I feel like I'm wasting time in bed.
0:02:24 > 0:02:265:00am.
0:02:26 > 0:02:282:00, I'm quite lazy.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32I actually don't feel human until about 10:00.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36Most people instinctively know if they're a morning
0:02:36 > 0:02:38or a late-night person,
0:02:38 > 0:02:41but now I'm going to take a more scientific approach
0:02:41 > 0:02:44to find out the timing of my body clock.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46Have a look at these.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49These are test tubes, as you can see.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53Even the untutored eye can make out a test tube.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56And the thing is, that this is a kind of spitting contest.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00I've got to spit into one of these
0:03:00 > 0:03:03every half-hour from now, 7:00,
0:03:03 > 0:03:06until I go to bed, which is 11:30, and then an extra half-hour, 12:00.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08So it's going to keep me awake, spitting.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12My saliva will be tested to find the time
0:03:12 > 0:03:15I start to release a hormone called melatonin.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18Its release is controlled by the body clock
0:03:18 > 0:03:20and it tells the body it's time to sleep.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25That's about it. I'm out of spit.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27I hope this is worthwhile.
0:03:27 > 0:03:28I may never live it down.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32# Wake up, it's a beautiful morning
0:03:32 > 0:03:36# Feel the sun shining for your eyes. #
0:03:36 > 0:03:38Now I'm semi-retired,
0:03:38 > 0:03:42I have more choice about what time I do all sorts of things,
0:03:42 > 0:03:44including waking up and getting out of bed.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47Nowadays, I like to be up and about around 8:00.
0:03:49 > 0:03:54I'm more or less on me toes as soon as I get out of bed.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56And when I stay with some friends,
0:03:56 > 0:03:58they used to find it got on their nerves a bit
0:03:58 > 0:04:02because they were the kind of people who didn't come to
0:04:02 > 0:04:07until they'd had their first cup of coffee or a slice of toast.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09And there am I, smiling and cheering,
0:04:09 > 0:04:11thinking, of course, I'm doing good,
0:04:11 > 0:04:13and all I'm doing is irritating people.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16And then I made a living by irritating people.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Quite extraordinary.
0:04:18 > 0:04:19It's results day.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23Time to find out if I'm a morning lark due to habit
0:04:23 > 0:04:25or because of my biology.
0:04:26 > 0:04:31We found out that you are, what we would call, a semi-lark.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33So you're not an extreme morning type,
0:04:33 > 0:04:37you are a sort of moderate morning type person.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40There you are. I thought I was more of a sparkler in the morning
0:04:40 > 0:04:43and you tell me I'm slightly less than larky.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45Not completely extreme.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47I think if you were complete extreme,
0:04:47 > 0:04:50fine, you would be fine very early in the morning,
0:04:50 > 0:04:53but you wouldn't be able to make it past 9:00 in the evening.
0:04:53 > 0:04:58So here we have your melatonin levels.
0:04:58 > 0:04:59- So this blue line...?- Yeah.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01For every half an hour that you did for us.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05I seem to be at a very low level here. Is this a good or a bad sign?
0:05:05 > 0:05:08Ah, well, as one gets older,
0:05:08 > 0:05:11the amount of melatonin that's produced is less.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15- So, this blue line is a decrepit old geezer?- Not at all.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19We're more interested in the time that it begins to rise.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21If you had an early clock, you would rise here.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24If you had a late clock, like this person here,
0:05:24 > 0:05:26you would rise a lot later.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29So this tells us that you've got a clock
0:05:29 > 0:05:32that's rising at about 11:00 in the evening
0:05:32 > 0:05:35and that is, you know, fairly normal.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37Is it better to be a lark than an owl?
0:05:37 > 0:05:39There's no judgment on that.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42I think you've got to know what you are
0:05:42 > 0:05:45and then choose to hopefully be able to choose your life
0:05:45 > 0:05:48to live in that sort of mode.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51Crucial question. What is a body clock?
0:05:51 > 0:05:56A body clock is a system that tells our body what time of day it is.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58It makes you alert during the day
0:05:58 > 0:06:01and importantly, it tells you when you should sleep.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06Deep in the middle of our brains, we have a main clock.
0:06:06 > 0:06:12Two small nuclei called the SCN or suprachiasmatic nuclei.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15And they pulse out a regular rhythm.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18That's literally tick, tick, tick.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22And we know from different studies
0:06:22 > 0:06:24you could take that out of the body
0:06:24 > 0:06:27and it literally can oscillate or tick.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30It's a clock you could put in a dish.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32- It ticks.- That's pretty frightening.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34It is. Do you find it frightening?
0:06:34 > 0:06:37There's something vaguely alien about that.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40Well, it's there and it's all...
0:06:40 > 0:06:42It's a master conductor of a clock system.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46The SCN body clock helps to co-ordinate
0:06:46 > 0:06:49the release of crucial hormones, like melatonin,
0:06:49 > 0:06:53which affect the body's functions at different times of the day.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57So, what activates the clock system? Is it going all the time?
0:06:57 > 0:07:00Yeah. It can generate itself.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02It's...it's like your watch.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05Without a battery, it keeps ticking and ticking,
0:07:05 > 0:07:07but it ticks at different speeds.
0:07:07 > 0:07:12And so what we do need is light through the eyes,
0:07:12 > 0:07:14light from the lights outside.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17And the light signal goes to the clock and says,
0:07:17 > 0:07:20"It's daytime. It's night-time.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22"It's daytime. It's night-time."
0:07:22 > 0:07:26So that clock gets information from the environment.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30So because melatonin causes sleepiness,
0:07:30 > 0:07:33if your melatonin level rises early in the evening,
0:07:33 > 0:07:36you're likely to go to sleep earlier than other people,
0:07:36 > 0:07:40which will mean you'll probably wake up earlier, as well.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42I'm not as larky as I thought I was
0:07:42 > 0:07:46and I'm lark with owlish tendencies.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49I suppose that's what makes me more of an all-round person.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53So my clocks are not bad, they mean that I can get up in the morning
0:07:53 > 0:07:57and I can stay up at night until I fall over.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59So I'm happy with my body clocks.
0:08:01 > 0:08:02Give us a smile, Terry.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05No, no. No, he's a much younger man.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07- Oh, God! - LAUGHTER
0:08:08 > 0:08:10Absolutely not. You're fired. Are you the lecturer?
0:08:10 > 0:08:13No, no, of course. Come on.
0:08:13 > 0:08:18Debra's tests also reveal that my melatonin levels are relatively low.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22This is going to absolutely crucify your street cred.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26And I'm told the less melatonin can mean a body clock
0:08:26 > 0:08:29that doesn't keep time as well as it could.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31It's typical of people of a certain age
0:08:31 > 0:08:34and means we often wake up during the night.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38I'm going to see if there's anything we oldies can do about that.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41I've come to the Anisha Grange care home,
0:08:41 > 0:08:45where the residents are exploring ways to keep their body clocks healthy
0:08:45 > 0:08:47by ensuring good sleep patterns.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51It's research that could actually benefit all of us.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53Tea and biscuits.
0:08:53 > 0:08:58Can I persuade anybody to a dish of tea and a little biccie?
0:08:58 > 0:09:00So ladies first, I imagine. Who...?
0:09:00 > 0:09:03- I don't like tea.- You don't like tea?- No.- I'll go out again.
0:09:03 > 0:09:04LAUGHTER
0:09:04 > 0:09:07- What about a gin and tonic, missus? - Yes.- Lovely.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12Meeting me here to tell me more about research
0:09:12 > 0:09:16into our body clock is Dr Benita Middleton.
0:09:16 > 0:09:22So, Benita, I hear that my body clock is changing as I get older.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26Yes. As everybody ages, the body clock inside our brain changes.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29And one of the main factors that influences this
0:09:29 > 0:09:31is the amount of light that we see.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35Research has shown that when light hits the back of our eyes,
0:09:35 > 0:09:39it causes the body clock to suppress the sleep hormone melatonin.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41And that makes you more alert.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46They've even found out that the colour makes a difference. Would you believe that?
0:09:47 > 0:09:51The best, apparently, is blue light because it mimics daylight.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56As you get older, the structure of our eyes changes.
0:09:56 > 0:10:01So when you're young, you have a nice, clear, thin lens like this,
0:10:01 > 0:10:04- which lets a lot of light through. - I can see you clearly.
0:10:04 > 0:10:05But when you get older,
0:10:05 > 0:10:08your lens gets thicker...
0:10:08 > 0:10:10like this...
0:10:11 > 0:10:13..so you get a bit less clarity.
0:10:13 > 0:10:18And also, it builds up yellow crystalline deposits, like that...
0:10:18 > 0:10:20which cuts down even more light.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23Specifically, the short wavelength blue light,
0:10:23 > 0:10:25which is most important for the body clock.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29Would I be at that stage? Am I at the yellowing stage?
0:10:29 > 0:10:30Most definitely, yes. I mean...
0:10:30 > 0:10:32No need to be most definite about it.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34Well, you see, it starts reasonably young.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37So when we're born, the lenses in our eyes are perfectly clear,
0:10:37 > 0:10:40but as we get older, they start to change colour.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42So that by the time you reach your 20s,
0:10:42 > 0:10:44they're already beginning to look a pale yellow.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48By 40, the colour is very pronounced, definitely yellow,
0:10:48 > 0:10:51and if you live to 90, they might appear almost brown.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54A lot of research has taken place
0:10:54 > 0:10:57looking at increasing light levels within the care homes
0:10:57 > 0:11:00to see if we can improve their sleep/wake cycle.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03The Anisha Grange care home has been designed
0:11:03 > 0:11:06to let in as much light as possible,
0:11:06 > 0:11:09but they've also been trying out these little blue lights.
0:11:09 > 0:11:14And then you have it on in the morning, Jim, for up to four hours.
0:11:14 > 0:11:15Oh, I see.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19Using lights like these can help our body clocks keep proper time,
0:11:19 > 0:11:21meaning people nap less during the day,
0:11:21 > 0:11:24sleep better and longer during the night.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28Hopefully, the lights will improve life for these residents.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34Well, that got me thinking about the light levels in my own home,
0:11:34 > 0:11:36so I've come back to take a proper look
0:11:36 > 0:11:39and see how much light I'm actually getting.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45This is my favourite room. I sit here more often than not,
0:11:45 > 0:11:47watch the television, read a book.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49This is a lux meter.
0:11:49 > 0:11:54This enables me to find out exactly what the light is like in here.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58It's 54 lux.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02Not very high. So let's go outside and see if it's any higher.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06It is a fairly dullish old day,
0:12:06 > 0:12:09but, er...I'm going to check and see what it is.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13Ha! Virtually 12,500 lux units.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16Thousands and thousands more
0:12:16 > 0:12:20than it was in what we thought was a reasonably-lit room indoors.
0:12:20 > 0:12:21It's extraordinary.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25So you're sitting in what you think is a reasonably-lit room
0:12:25 > 0:12:27and in fact, you're in the gloaming.
0:12:27 > 0:12:32You....you're almost in the dark,
0:12:32 > 0:12:35but you don't know it. But your body does.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44I hate to tell you, but our busy lives mean
0:12:44 > 0:12:48most of us are getting less than one hour of daylight a day.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53So if we want to keep our body clocks healthy,
0:12:53 > 0:12:54we need plenty of light.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58Leaving our gloomy offices and taking a walk at lunchtime
0:12:58 > 0:13:00can be enough to make a big difference.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06But for some people, it's not quite so straightforward.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10Justin McCloud has never been able to see light.
0:13:12 > 0:13:13Tell us about your condition.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17Well, I suffer with what's called anophthalmia,
0:13:17 > 0:13:21which is where I'm born without eyes, have no eyes at all,
0:13:21 > 0:13:26so I wear artificial eyes, which is great fun at parties.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29And I took them out for my oldest godchild
0:13:29 > 0:13:33and he was like, "Wow! Do it again!"
0:13:33 > 0:13:37Justin's condition has a serious impact
0:13:37 > 0:13:39on his sleep patterns and sense of time.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42It frustrates the hell out of my mum, um...
0:13:42 > 0:13:44with...with whom I live,
0:13:44 > 0:13:46because often I'm just going to bed
0:13:46 > 0:13:48when she's getting up for work in the morning.
0:13:48 > 0:13:55I really have to force myself to be a normal-sleeping kind of person.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58You're doing things at peculiar times all the time.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00Yeah. You know, I've been known to, um...
0:14:00 > 0:14:02If it's a nice, warm night,
0:14:02 > 0:14:05I've been known to go out to the park
0:14:05 > 0:14:07at about 3:00 in the morning.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10We've got a park literally, almost, right outside our house.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13Um...cooking is the main one.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15My mealtimes, because of my sleep times,
0:14:15 > 0:14:19are completely, um...off-kilter.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23He'll be up at sort of 4:00 in the morning cooking dinner.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26I can wake up at 6:00 in the morning ready for work and think,
0:14:26 > 0:14:29"I think I can smell a dinner.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32"I think I can smell a chilli con carne or something."
0:14:32 > 0:14:36How does it affect your life, your everyday life?
0:14:36 > 0:14:38Well, I'm an aspiring sound designer.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42I'm on the board of trustees for a small online charity.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46And that's really rewarding and really good fun.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48To sort my sleep pattern out would be lovely
0:14:48 > 0:14:51because then I'd get more done all-round.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56And that's exactly what researchers are trying to do
0:14:56 > 0:15:00here at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02For the body clock to be of any use,
0:15:02 > 0:15:05it has to be hit by light every day to set it,
0:15:05 > 0:15:07to stop it drifting through time.
0:15:07 > 0:15:12Here's a single day here represented with 24 little strips.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14Here's when we're asleep, this is when we're awake.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16And normally...
0:15:16 > 0:15:18this is beautifully aligned
0:15:18 > 0:15:22because most of us are seeing the light/dark cycle, dawn and dusk,
0:15:22 > 0:15:25and so every day, our sleep is pretty stable.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27It occurs about the same time.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31In Justin's case, he's lacking that daily resetting cue.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34And so what happens is that he will get
0:15:34 > 0:15:39a little bit later and later and later each day.
0:15:39 > 0:15:40And you can think of that as a bit like
0:15:40 > 0:15:43unremitting jet lag for the rest of his life.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45And why we're studying Justin is to try and find out
0:15:45 > 0:15:49if we can correct that drifting, free-running body clock.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52And has he any hope of readjustment,
0:15:52 > 0:15:55of having a balanced life,
0:15:55 > 0:15:57or getting his body clock back in balance?
0:15:57 > 0:16:00There are ways in which you can, you can hit the body clock
0:16:00 > 0:16:03with various chemicals.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05And...and...and so the body clock thinks it's night and day.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07That's what we're moving onto next.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09We're going to try some drugs
0:16:09 > 0:16:13which will give the body clock its sense of time again, hopefully.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18I'm astonished at this research into the body clock.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20And what's more, Russell says
0:16:20 > 0:16:24he's able to show me my own body clock in action.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26It's slightly daunting, but I'll be plucky.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33While I'm lying in this giant metal tube,
0:16:33 > 0:16:36I'm being shown a series of bright images
0:16:36 > 0:16:39which should reveal my body clock reacting to light.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46The things I do in the interests of neuroscience.
0:16:46 > 0:16:47Oh, hang on.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52Ah! Now I can hear at last.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56So, Russell, what we have here is the results.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59Yes. And you'll be pleased to know that this is, in fact, your brain.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02This bit of the brain is the visual cortex.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05And you see that in response to light, it's lighting up.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07Just to give you some sense of that,
0:17:07 > 0:17:10here is a brain, a model of a brain,
0:17:10 > 0:17:12and it's this bit at the back here.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15So sometimes if you're hit on the back of the head, you see stars.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18Because you're actually hitting that bit of the brain.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20Extraordinary. So, that's at the back of the head?
0:17:20 > 0:17:24Yeah. So let's now go on to look at the clock areas of the brain.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27This is the visual area of the brain,
0:17:27 > 0:17:29now we're going on to the clock area of the brain.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32And what we'd expect, of course, is when we turn the lights on,
0:17:32 > 0:17:34your eye would deliver light information
0:17:34 > 0:17:36to the master body clock.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40So this is the area of the brain that's sort of lit up.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44And that's the activation of the suprachiasmatic nuclei.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48That's, of course, how the clock can be aligned
0:17:48 > 0:17:50to the environmental light/dark cycle,
0:17:50 > 0:17:54which stops you drifting and getting up later and later and later.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56So the eye is doing two fundamentally different things.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58Of course, the accepted function of the eye,
0:17:58 > 0:18:02which we've known for 150 years, you've built an image of the world.
0:18:02 > 0:18:03And yet there's this other function
0:18:03 > 0:18:05which is entirely independent, if you like,
0:18:05 > 0:18:09which is giving an overall impression of brightness to our brains
0:18:09 > 0:18:11and our body clock, in particular.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16It was interesting to undergo the scan.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18And it's reassuring for me
0:18:18 > 0:18:20because lots of people tell me I'm not the full shilling.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25I was able to see from the scan that there is a brain in there.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27It may not be working all that well,
0:18:27 > 0:18:29but it lights up at the right time.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33And it's been an extraordinary revelation to me.
0:18:33 > 0:18:34Is there even more stuff
0:18:34 > 0:18:37that we have to find out about ourselves that we didn't know?
0:18:37 > 0:18:39And I'm perfectly sure there is,
0:18:39 > 0:18:43because we're only just beginning with this body clock.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47You'll be amazed what I've been finding out.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49ALARM
0:18:52 > 0:18:54According to our body clocks,
0:18:54 > 0:18:56just after waking up in the morning
0:18:56 > 0:18:58is the best time for men to have sex
0:18:58 > 0:19:02because their testosterone levels are at their highest.
0:19:02 > 0:19:03I think I can remember that.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07And you're not going to believe this,
0:19:07 > 0:19:10but morning is also a very busy time in the maternity units.
0:19:11 > 0:19:12- Good.- Come on, push harder.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15Most babies are born between 6:00 in the morning
0:19:15 > 0:19:17and 1:00 in the afternoon.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19Come on, push down. Down, down.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22This is because our body clocks make us relaxed at night.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25And being relaxed is good for the onset of labour.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30A few hours later, this is the result.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34There's a body clock regulating when she wants to eat,
0:19:34 > 0:19:36when she wants to sleep.
0:19:38 > 0:19:39Any of her bodily functions.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44From the day we're born, our body clock controls our lives.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48A newborn can only eat a little bit at a time.
0:19:48 > 0:19:52And these babies' clocks wake them up every few hours so they can feed.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00As babies grow, they soon start to sleep longer in the night
0:20:00 > 0:20:02than they do in the day.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04But it isn't until we reach about five years old
0:20:04 > 0:20:07that our body clock is in tune with that of an adult.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13In one of those strange coincidences that life throws at us,
0:20:13 > 0:20:18the morning is also the most likely time that we die.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20Just to cheer you up(!)
0:20:20 > 0:20:24At this time, our body clocks are revving us up for the day ahead.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27So there are lots of changes that go on
0:20:27 > 0:20:30and these are principally driven by hormones,
0:20:30 > 0:20:32but our blood pressure starts to rise,
0:20:32 > 0:20:35there's a change in our heart rate,
0:20:35 > 0:20:40there's a change in the tone of our coronary arteries
0:20:40 > 0:20:42and there are changes in the stickiness and viscosity,
0:20:42 > 0:20:43the thickness of our blood.
0:20:43 > 0:20:48So our blood is more prone to clotting, to forming blood clots
0:20:48 > 0:20:50during those first few hours of the morning.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52So all of those things can join together
0:20:52 > 0:20:55and in a vulnerable patient
0:20:55 > 0:20:57who has got a problem that's already established,
0:20:57 > 0:21:00put them at risk of developing a heart attack or a stroke
0:21:00 > 0:21:03at that particular time of the day.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06So, would you say, then, that in your experience here
0:21:06 > 0:21:10that more people die or get heart attacks in the mornings
0:21:10 > 0:21:12than do in the afternoon and the evening?
0:21:12 > 0:21:14Yeah, I think that's definitely true.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18There's a very clear peak in the very first three or four hours after waking,
0:21:18 > 0:21:22from about 6:00 in the morning through close to midday.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25And, er...many series have reported a doubling
0:21:25 > 0:21:28of the rates of heart attacks in those times.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30So the best thing to do is when you get up in the morning,
0:21:30 > 0:21:32hang tough and do your best to stay alive
0:21:32 > 0:21:36through the middle of the day and you'll make it to the evening.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38Yeah, to a degree.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40But I think more important than that is to make sure
0:21:40 > 0:21:42you're not in that situation where you're vulnerable.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44So if you do all the right things
0:21:44 > 0:21:46and you exercise regularly and you eat sensibly
0:21:46 > 0:21:50and you see your doctor for intermittent checks and, er...er...
0:21:50 > 0:21:52you give yourself really strong protection,
0:21:52 > 0:21:55you shouldn't fear the vulnerable period first thing in the morning
0:21:55 > 0:21:57because it won't be relevant.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01One thing is clear from my conversation with Will,
0:22:01 > 0:22:05prevention is better than cure.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08So on doctor's orders, it's time for some exercise.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12What time do we like to tread the mill?
0:22:12 > 0:22:15I wake up at 5:00 so I can exercise in the morning.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18Generally, I like to go before work.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20Ooh, I think first thing in the morning
0:22:20 > 0:22:22when I go swimming or I go for a walk.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30It looks like many of us are fitting in our exercise before going to work.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34Gyms all over Britain open their doors at 6:00 in the morning.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36But is this really the best time?
0:22:38 > 0:22:41This is the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43The perfect place for some professional advice.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49Exercise is going to feel a little bit easier
0:22:49 > 0:22:51in the late afternoon and early evening.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53And it's going to feel a little bit harder in the morning.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56Partly, that's because your body temperature is rising through the day
0:22:56 > 0:23:00and that facilitates things like muscle function and so on.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02And so you're able to perform a little bit more.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05But if you exercise too late, that will impair your sleep quality
0:23:05 > 0:23:08- and knock out your body clock a little bit, as well.- Oh, I see.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11I don't know about you, but I find it remarkable
0:23:11 > 0:23:15that my body clock even has an influence on my temperature.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19Changing it throughout the day to suit expected activity levels.
0:23:19 > 0:23:24Ideally, I wouldn't play tennis before 11:00 in the morning
0:23:24 > 0:23:25if I could have it my way every day,
0:23:25 > 0:23:27but you have no say in the schedule,
0:23:27 > 0:23:29so you've got to be able to adapt
0:23:29 > 0:23:33and be ready to play whenever that's asked of you.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35In your experience, what was the best time of the day for you?
0:23:35 > 0:23:38Late afternoon. Definitely late afternoon, yeah.
0:23:38 > 0:23:39Are you an early riser?
0:23:39 > 0:23:42I am, yeah. I like getting up in the morning, I think, but I just...
0:23:42 > 0:23:45I think you always feel that much sort of looser in your body
0:23:45 > 0:23:47and sort of more energetic.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50It gives you more time to put everything in place during the day
0:23:50 > 0:23:54and I think your body's naturally sort of more active at that time,
0:23:54 > 0:23:56sort of, any time, 3:00, 4:00, 5:00 or 6:00 in the evening,
0:23:56 > 0:23:58- but not the night matches.- No.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00The night matches are a little tougher.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04That's perfect.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06I'm starting to appreciate just how much influence
0:24:06 > 0:24:09our body clock has on our daily activities.
0:24:09 > 0:24:14I'm astonished that our bodies, inside...
0:24:14 > 0:24:17Although we appear to be in charge of everything,
0:24:17 > 0:24:19we can do what we like, go to sleep when we like,
0:24:19 > 0:24:23wake up when we like, do everything because we're in charge, we're not.
0:24:25 > 0:24:31These little clocks whirring away, oscillating, ticking in our bodies,
0:24:31 > 0:24:33impossible as it is to believe,
0:24:33 > 0:24:35they're the ones who are taking the decisions for us.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40For example, although not a natural striker of the ball,
0:24:40 > 0:24:42I like the odd round of golf.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46And now I can play any time, well, I tend to play in the afternoon.
0:24:47 > 0:24:48Shot.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52Do you know, I thought I'd nearly lost my tee there, Brian.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54- Close the course. - An expensive old game.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56I hadn't realised that decision
0:24:56 > 0:24:59was down to the influence of my body clock
0:24:59 > 0:25:01guiding me when to exercise.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04And when to concentrate, too.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09Apparently, the best time to use your brain is mid-morning,
0:25:09 > 0:25:13when hormones promoting alertness are at their highest levels.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15And that's exactly the time I tend to sit down
0:25:15 > 0:25:17to do what I call a bit of work.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22I'm a one-finger man, so it does take a little bit of time,
0:25:22 > 0:25:24but then I have plenty of time.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29But some people need to be at their peak of alertness
0:25:29 > 0:25:31at all times of the day and the night.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35Nearly four million people in the UK work shifts.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39So, how do they concentrate when their shift patterns demand
0:25:39 > 0:25:41they override their body clocks?
0:25:46 > 0:25:49This is the early shift at Turners Distribution Centre in Newmarket.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51While most of us are sleeping,
0:25:51 > 0:25:54they're at work to make sure our fresh groceries
0:25:54 > 0:25:55are there when the shops open.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04We asked the workers here if they thought they were a lark or an owl.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07Remember, that's the time they like to get up,
0:26:07 > 0:26:09not the time they have to get up.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14So that's 12 larks and only five owls.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16Now, this is to be expected, really.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18Most owls who try to do the early shift
0:26:18 > 0:26:20will give up after just a few weeks,
0:26:20 > 0:26:22leaving larks in the majority.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28So, what's it like being an owl on an early shift?
0:26:28 > 0:26:32I just cannot do mornings. I hate mornings with a passion.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35Very, very grumpy and generally don't like to talk to people much.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39I've always stayed up late. Very difficult to get up.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43Always late for work. Every morning, I think, I'm late.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45Shift work is the ultimate clash
0:26:45 > 0:26:48between the time our body clock wants us to do things
0:26:48 > 0:26:52and the time modern life demands we do them.
0:26:52 > 0:26:53And it shows.
0:26:53 > 0:26:58People who do night shifts for many years have a much higher risk
0:26:58 > 0:27:02of developing life-threatening conditions.
0:27:02 > 0:27:0524-hour living comes at a cost.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09ALARM
0:27:12 > 0:27:14The middle of the day or the early afternoon
0:27:14 > 0:27:17is when we feel at our most positive.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19That's the time you should be asking for a raise.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22And it's the best time of the day to go to the dentist
0:27:22 > 0:27:26because the local anaesthetic can last up to three times longer.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28But I'm afraid it's the worst time of the day
0:27:28 > 0:27:30to have an alcoholic drink.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33If I have alcohol at lunchtime,
0:27:33 > 0:27:37I can't have more than one, because I'd be zonked out.
0:27:37 > 0:27:42If I had a drink earlier in the day, I'd feel more tired after,
0:27:42 > 0:27:45but if I had a drink later in the day, then I'd be more energetic.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47If I daytime drink and I stop,
0:27:47 > 0:27:50I fall asleep at 5:00 and sleep heavily.
0:27:50 > 0:27:51I'll just go to bed.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54I like to have a small bottle of lager with my lunch,
0:27:54 > 0:27:56but I know it afterwards.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59Yeah, it definitely makes me tired.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06So, why does drinking during the day
0:28:06 > 0:28:09have much more effect than drinking in the evening?
0:28:09 > 0:28:12Surely it can't be influenced by the body clock, as well?
0:28:14 > 0:28:16It's a warm day here in London.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20And in the name of science, we're going to crack out the wine.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24We've enrolled two sets of volunteers.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26One lot, who will join us later on,
0:28:26 > 0:28:30and this group, looking forward to a tipple at lunchtime.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34Each of them gets one roll and two and a half units of alcohol.
0:28:34 > 0:28:36Or as I like to call it, hardly anything to drink.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39- Grab a roll, for goodness' sake. - Ooh, yes.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41- Have you got enough wine? - I-I think so.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44Because this experiment only works if you're drunk. Drink up.
0:28:44 > 0:28:46- Will do.- Drink up.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48In the early afternoon, our body clock
0:28:48 > 0:28:51tries to tell us to have a little nap.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55And somewhat surprisingly, it seems to do this
0:28:55 > 0:28:57partly by dipping our body temperature.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00Only by a tiny amount, but it's enough
0:29:00 > 0:29:02to cause slight drowsiness in most of us.
0:29:02 > 0:29:04In the mid-afternoon,
0:29:04 > 0:29:05we're starting to get sleepy.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07This is when, if we lived in Spain or Italy or somewhere,
0:29:07 > 0:29:09we might be thinking about having a siesta.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12So we have this effect of sleepiness and alcohol combined.
0:29:12 > 0:29:16So our lunchtime lab rats have had a drink
0:29:16 > 0:29:19at a time when their bodies are telling them to fall asleep.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22How will they cope with a simple task of concentration?
0:29:22 > 0:29:26Three, two, one, go.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31And the aim of the test is to sort a pack of cards into suits
0:29:31 > 0:29:34and then numerical order.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38We're looking at how fast they can do it,
0:29:38 > 0:29:40but more importantly, how accurate they are.
0:29:44 > 0:29:45Oh, no!
0:29:45 > 0:29:49And some of the group are finding the task quite confusing.
0:29:49 > 0:29:53I think two comes before three and then four, then five, six, seven.
0:29:53 > 0:29:54You're probably right.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57Do you think it's the drink, or are you just not very good at cards?
0:29:57 > 0:30:00I'm not very good at cards and I don't normally drink at lunchtime.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03It's quite challenging, to be honest. It's harder than you think.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06My brain is not all the way on.
0:30:06 > 0:30:08I'm feeling a little bit woozy from the wine.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11So they're not coping well.
0:30:11 > 0:30:13How will they compare to our second group,
0:30:13 > 0:30:16who do the test in the early evening?
0:30:20 > 0:30:23I've found my vocation at last. Pouring drinks.
0:30:23 > 0:30:25If you eat a sandwich, as well.
0:30:25 > 0:30:27Thank you very much. Cheers!
0:30:27 > 0:30:29Ready, steady, go!
0:30:32 > 0:30:37By this time, our bodies should be recovering from their lunchtime dip.
0:30:37 > 0:30:38And don't panic.
0:30:38 > 0:30:43So in theory, this group should cope with the alcohol better.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46It's interesting because this group now, this evening,
0:30:46 > 0:30:50are using more strategy-based techniques for sorting out the cards,
0:30:50 > 0:30:53whereas this afternoon, people were just kind of going for it.
0:30:53 > 0:30:55Whereas now, they're using strategies.
0:30:55 > 0:30:57Their brains are working in a different way.
0:30:57 > 0:31:00She had an interesting tactic because she was sorting by suit
0:31:00 > 0:31:02at the same time by number.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05So I think it worked well for her.
0:31:05 > 0:31:06Yeah, I think I did all right.
0:31:06 > 0:31:09I was trying to get the cards out as quick as possible.
0:31:09 > 0:31:13So, Louise, tell me all. Spare me nothing.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16OK. When we look at the time taken to do the task,
0:31:16 > 0:31:20people did take very slightly longer to do the task this evening.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23However, during the evening sessions, accuracy was much improved
0:31:23 > 0:31:26and their brains were perhaps working a little bit better
0:31:26 > 0:31:29for them to be able to do that task more accurately at this time of day.
0:31:29 > 0:31:31In fact, larger studies have shown
0:31:31 > 0:31:34that many aspects of brain function and alertness
0:31:34 > 0:31:37suffer a dip during the afternoon.
0:31:37 > 0:31:41And where does this come in? How is this useful to anybody?
0:31:41 > 0:31:44Well, and this is important, for something like driving, for example,
0:31:44 > 0:31:47where you might take perhaps a small measure of alcohol
0:31:47 > 0:31:49and it would have a much stronger effect on you
0:31:49 > 0:31:50in the daytime than at night-time.
0:31:50 > 0:31:53So although this group may be a little slow,
0:31:53 > 0:31:56they are, in fact, more accurate.
0:31:56 > 0:31:57More accurate, yes.
0:31:57 > 0:31:58CHEERING
0:32:03 > 0:32:06This natural slump caused by our body clock
0:32:06 > 0:32:10means drinking during the day, even under the legal limit,
0:32:10 > 0:32:13will have a much bigger effect on our ability to concentrate,
0:32:13 > 0:32:15regardless of what we're doing.
0:32:16 > 0:32:21You know, more people die on British roads between 1:00 and 5:00pm
0:32:21 > 0:32:24than at any other time of the day.
0:32:24 > 0:32:26And now I understand why.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29Our European cousins have the right idea.
0:32:29 > 0:32:31The best thing to do in the afternoon
0:32:31 > 0:32:34is definitely enjoy a siesta.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36ALARM
0:32:36 > 0:32:39# Bung, bung, bung, bung, bung
0:32:39 > 0:32:41# Bung, bung, bung, bung, bung
0:32:41 > 0:32:45# Mr Sandman, bring me a dream...#
0:32:45 > 0:32:47So it's bedtime.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50And in my case, that's 11:30.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53Now, when I was getting up at the crack of dawn
0:32:53 > 0:32:55to do the morning radio show,
0:32:55 > 0:32:58I would go to bed around about 10:30.
0:32:58 > 0:33:02Now, that, I understand, is the average bedtime
0:33:02 > 0:33:04for most British people.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06But I suppose since I have a bit more time on my hands,
0:33:06 > 0:33:09I come to bed an hour later.
0:33:11 > 0:33:15But once a year, I bravely override my body clock
0:33:15 > 0:33:17and stay up and active much later
0:33:17 > 0:33:20presenting the show closest to my heart, Children in Need.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27Rehearsals start in the afternoon, but the live show lasts
0:33:27 > 0:33:29until the early hours of the next day.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32# Let's go crazy, crazy, crazy
0:33:32 > 0:33:34# Till we see the sun...
0:33:34 > 0:33:36Thank you for joining us.
0:33:36 > 0:33:38# I know we only met but let's pretend it's love
0:33:38 > 0:33:42# And never, never, never stop for anyone
0:33:42 > 0:33:46# Tonight, let's get some and live while we're young. #
0:33:46 > 0:33:50Well, that's it. 2:10 in the morning.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53Probably won't wake until,
0:33:53 > 0:33:55oh, maybe 10:00 tomorrow morning, who knows?
0:33:55 > 0:33:57This morning. What am I saying?
0:33:59 > 0:34:01The adrenaline kept me going.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04I'm not sure I could do it too often.
0:34:04 > 0:34:06However, there is one group of people
0:34:06 > 0:34:11who like to stay up this late every single night of the week. Teenagers.
0:34:13 > 0:34:17We all know teenagers have a reputation for being a bit lazy,
0:34:17 > 0:34:19but it turns out there may actually be
0:34:19 > 0:34:21a biological reason for their behaviour.
0:34:21 > 0:34:26When we swot analysis, what would an example of a level one question be?
0:34:26 > 0:34:28Marketing, planning.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31These young people need a whopping nine hours' sleep,
0:34:31 > 0:34:35so to be fresh and ready for lessons that start at 9:00 in the morning,
0:34:35 > 0:34:39they should be going to bed by 10:00 or 11:00 in the evening.
0:34:39 > 0:34:42Now, I know, as someone with three grown-up children,
0:34:42 > 0:34:44this is highly unlikely.
0:34:44 > 0:34:46It's a planning tool. What does it help us do?
0:34:46 > 0:34:48- Excuse me.- Hi, there.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50Sorry to interrupt the class. Good morning, everybody.
0:34:50 > 0:34:52- ALL: Hello.- Morning, teacher. - Good morning.
0:34:52 > 0:34:55Could I ask you all to stand, please? Thank you.
0:34:55 > 0:34:57This is an experiment.
0:34:57 > 0:35:04So could I ask those who go to bed or sleep at 11:00 to sit down.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08That's encouraging.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12Could I ask those who go to sleep at midnight to sit down.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17You see, that's me. And you need so much more sleep than I do.
0:35:17 > 0:35:22What about those who go to sleep at 12:30?
0:35:26 > 0:35:28And you, what time do you go to sleep?
0:35:28 > 0:35:30- About 1:00ish.- Do you?- Yeah.
0:35:30 > 0:35:32Sit down, for goodness' sakes.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35Look, there's four girls standing. Are you ravers?
0:35:35 > 0:35:37LAUGHTER
0:35:37 > 0:35:39Are you all clubbing at all hours?
0:35:39 > 0:35:41What about your studies?
0:35:41 > 0:35:44- Do you not feel cream-crackered in the morning?- Yes.
0:35:44 > 0:35:461:30. Is that when you go to sleep?
0:35:46 > 0:35:50- Yeah.- 1:30-2:00ish. - Sit down, for goodness' sake.
0:35:52 > 0:35:54Frightening.
0:35:54 > 0:35:58A preference for very late nights is all to do with puberty.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01From the ages of around 14 to 20,
0:36:01 > 0:36:05the body clock shifts and we become super owls.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08We don't really know for sure why it happens,
0:36:08 > 0:36:11but it's a measureable biological change.
0:36:11 > 0:36:17And it means being alert for early lessons can be extremely difficult.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20Instead of asking teenagers to force their body clocks to change,
0:36:20 > 0:36:24some schools are looking at the problem the other way around.
0:36:25 > 0:36:27The interesting thing about this school
0:36:27 > 0:36:31is that the older students come in at 11:30,
0:36:31 > 0:36:35which is about the right time for teenagers and adolescents
0:36:35 > 0:36:37to actually be in school.
0:36:37 > 0:36:39They should wake up about 10:00
0:36:39 > 0:36:42and they should start work, you know, at 11:30.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45You will get people like myself who are very intolerant of this kind of thing
0:36:45 > 0:36:47saying, "I had to get up at all hours,
0:36:47 > 0:36:51"I had to work hard, discipline and duty and all the rest of it
0:36:51 > 0:36:54"and now we're catering for the little rascals."
0:36:54 > 0:36:57I think we're not catering for the little rascals
0:36:57 > 0:37:00because, in fact, what we're saying is it's not for them,
0:37:00 > 0:37:02it's for their health and their sleep.
0:37:02 > 0:37:04So, if you like, it's a different kind of medicine.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06It's just a kind of medicine that they like
0:37:06 > 0:37:09because it actually makes them feel better.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12I mean, to put it another way, if you, as an adult,
0:37:12 > 0:37:16had to get up at 3:30 in the morning to go to work,
0:37:16 > 0:37:21you'd be experiencing what teenagers experience with early school start.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24So, what are the results?
0:37:24 > 0:37:28Will these young people have better exam results?
0:37:28 > 0:37:31In every study everywhere in the world,
0:37:31 > 0:37:34later start times produce better results.
0:37:34 > 0:37:38And, according to parents and teachers, better young people
0:37:38 > 0:37:40in terms of their behaviour
0:37:40 > 0:37:42and their mood and their attitude to things.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47These pupils, they work really hard.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50They work an awful lot harder on their exams than I did
0:37:50 > 0:37:54and they all seemed balanced, happy and healthy,
0:37:54 > 0:37:58which I think is probably the object of the exercise.
0:37:58 > 0:38:00I'm terribly impressed with this.
0:38:00 > 0:38:04The fact that the body clock idea has been put to practical use.
0:38:04 > 0:38:08It's been put to benefit the next generation,
0:38:08 > 0:38:11which is probably the most important thing you can do.
0:38:11 > 0:38:13ALARM
0:38:16 > 0:38:18Of course, with our busy lives,
0:38:18 > 0:38:22we can't always do things as and when our body clock dictates,
0:38:22 > 0:38:26but maybe we should make an effort to try and do them at the right time
0:38:26 > 0:38:28a little more often.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31Trust me, you'll be glad you did.