Book 5, Question 135
Tick Tock, Body Clock! Why Does Your Body Have Rhythms?
Your body has natural cycles, like feeling sleepy at night and awake in the day. These rhythms are helped along by light and by daily habits. A regular sleep routine can help your body keep its rhythm.
From the book
Page from A Million Whys Book 5
More fun facts
- Your internal clocks change your body temperature, body chemicals, hunger and sleepiness through the day and night.
- These daily patterns are called circadian rhythms, and they run on a cycle of about 24 hours.
- Daylight and nighttime darkness help set your internal clocks.
- Bright morning light sets the body clock for the day, and evening darkness nudges your organs into nighttime mode.
- On its own, the body clock does not keep very good time, so it needs those light signals.
- Going to sleep and waking at regular times helps your body keep its rhythms.
Sources: Science News Explores, Science News Explores, Scientific American, Science News Explores
Questions kids ask
What is a circadian rhythm?
It is a body pattern, like sleeping and waking, that repeats about every 24 hours.