Sleep may be world’s ultimate leveller. Whether you’re a billionaire or celebrity – sleep is something everyone has to have. Here are some fascinating facts.
BY ELISE-MARIE RANCRED AND THE HEALTH24 TEAM for You Pulse magazine
- The body’s response to external things, such as sunlight, is monitored by it’s internal clock, called the circadian clock (circadian comes from a Latin word meaning ‘‘around the day’’).
- The circadian clock is situated in the in the hypothalamus and is the size of a pinhead.
- Because of the body’s circadian clock there’s a greater risk of dying between 4-6 am.
- Most heart attacks occur in the early hours of the morning.
- Your body weight is at its lowest between 9 am and noon while reaction time peaks at about 4 pm.
- Asthma attacks typically happen between midnight and 6 am and most women give birth naturally around 1 am.
(This is an edited version of a story that originally appeared in YOU Pulse / Huisgenoot-POLS magazine, Winter 2008. Buy the latest copy, on newsstands now, for more fascinating stories from the world of health and wellness.)
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