The circadian rhythm is our bodies internal time-keeping clock.

It controls our sleep and wakening, and is influenced by light. The circadian rhythm adjusts to our environment s daily light dark cycle and, therefore, changes throughout the year. A regular waking time in the morning strengthens the circadian rhythm and can help with sleep onset at night.

Light affects the production of melatonin so that as daylight ends and night-time begins the levels of melatonin rise telling our body that it is time to sleep. It is the level of melatonin which decreases as we get older, making us vulnerable to insomnia as we age.

Most of us don't notice our internal clocks until they're out of whack with the time of day, usually because of jetlag or a change in sleep patterns. Like a clock that needs to be set daily, the brain's circadian clock requires a cycle of sunlight and darkness to orchestrate the body's functions. (The term "circadian" comes from the Latin circa, "around," and diem or dies, meaning "day.") Almost every function of the body oscillates during the day according to this clock, affecting the timing of major events like birth or even death. Chronic disruptions to our natural body rhythms can be a serious health hazard. Some studies have shown that night nurses with changing shifts are more likely to get breast cancer than those who work during the day, and shift work has also been linked to diabetes and obesity. But even those who are on more typical schedules can be affected by circadian rhythms. Here are more body clock believe-it-or-not facts from psychologist Roberto Refinetti, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Circadian Rhythms, and Steven Brown, of the University of Zurich. 1. Body temperature is lowest before waking up in the morning, and highest in the late afternoon. A temperature of 99 degrees Fahrenheit might indicate fever at 7 a.m., but by 5 p.m. would be normal.

2. Heart attacks are twice as likely in the early morning as at other times.

3. Births peak in the morning and early afternoon.

4. So do suicides.

5. Body clocks are why doctors often prescribe taking medicines at certain times of day. For example, both aspirin and antihistamines work best taken in the morning. But some types of chemotherapy for cancer may be more effective and less toxic if administered at night.

6. People are much more likely to have sex at night just before they go to sleep than at any other time of the day.

7. If we were to live in total darkness, we would fall into a cycle of days that last up to 25 hours or longer. "Clock genes" control body temperature, the secretion of hormones and much activity at the cellular level all of which are controlled by a master clock that runs on the longer cycle unless it is reset by the sun. Night owls don't have it easy. After all, few people can choose to show up at work or school late. And that night-owl tendency--sleep doctors call it a "delayed sleep phase," in which you go to bed and rise late--is hard to change. "Some people have this tendency right from the minute they come out of the womb," says Dr. Nancy Collop, director of the Johns Hopkins Hospital Sleep Disorders Center in Baltimore. However, staying up late and hauling yourself out of bed painfully in the morning is a bad idea: adults typically need seven or eight hours of sleep a night, and chronic sleep deprivation has been linked to a range of risks, from car accidents to obesity and depression. Fortunately, a few easy steps Collop recommends can help shift the body's internal clock and win you some precious dreamtime.

1. Routine, Routine: Try to get up at the same time each day--even on weekends and days off. Disruptions in your schedule could throw off the body's sleep pattern for weeks.

2. Let the Sun Shine In: Sleep in a room with eastern exposure, and with the blinds up, so the morning sun shines in. Light is how the body sets its clock. Or, if your room lacks early sun, invest in a "light box" that greets you with full-spectrum light mimicking the sun. Light boxes typically shine 2,000 to 10,000 lux, depending on how far away you sit. Collop recommends an hour of 2,500 lux each morning, but even a half hour will help. Although some people can reduce the time they sit before the light box as the body adjusts; many relapse quickly into their old sleep habits when they stop using the light box altogether.

An ordinary lamp won't do the trick. However, at night it may be helpful to avoid spending too much time in stores with bright lighting in the evening. One 2003 study of Japanese junior-high-school students concluded that those who went to convenience stores after sunset stayed up longer and slept less.

3. Get Some Extra Help: Sleeping pills may be needed to get to sleep in the evening, but ideally only temporarily to establish the desired routine. A time-released drug may help by keeping the level of the medication even through the night.

4. Noises Off: Don't read or watch TV in bed. Use the bed for sleeping (and of course, sex).

5. Smart Snacks: Don't eat large meals late at night--but small snacks before bed are sometimes helpful, says Collop. Foods containing the amino acid tryptophan such as turkey and milk may help. Avoid alcohol. Although it induces sleepiness, once the effect wears off, booze interferes with sleep.

6. Curb the Caffeine: Don't rely on coffee. Small amounts can help in the morning, but night owls shouldn't drink coffee in the afternoon.

7. Wind Down, Not Up: Don't exercise near bedtime, as exercise raises the body temperature and can interfere with sleep.

8. Get Help: Consult a sleep specialist if you're having trouble getting into a sleep routine. And persistent sleepiness despite a good night's sleep may be a sign of a serious sleep disorder or other health condition

9. Don't Be Hard on Yourself: Morning slowness doesn't mean you are lazy or apathetic about your day. Night-owl tendencies are estimated to be at least 50 percent genetic in origin, says Steven Brown, a sleep exert at the University of Zurich. You may find rising early a struggle for much of your life. But even night owls often naturally shift toward earlier bedtimes and rising as they age, typically after 60. Human circadian rhythms are the body's natural biological clock. As we have all noticed, there are certain times of day and night when we feel naturally sleepy, and certain other times when we are wide awake.

Usually, the circadian rhythm is a cycle that is more or less 24-hours in length and most of the physiological, biochemical, and behavioral processes of the body ebb and flow in tides during this cycle. In human beings, as in other animals and living creatures, this cycle regulates the daily waking and sleeping patterns.

Circadian rhythms are biological temporal rhythms, and though they are a part of who you are, they can be altered and "trained" by external stimuli and processes. What is unexpected is that these patterns or cycles continue even when there is no direct external stimulus for them.

For example, even if you are in places far north, where day and night (sunrise and sunset rather) may be a matter of weeks and months, you would still feel sleepy and awake in more or less 24 hour cycles. This is what confirms the theory that the circadian rhythm is endogenous, or built-in. It can become less and less well regulated over months and years of lack of stimuli, and it can be trained with small changes in your habits but it is intrinsic. There are some people who feel that the main thing behind depression is an upset of the body's circadian rhythms. The belief is that with the way modern man lives the lifestyle we have chosen our body clocks no longer run our bodies.

We wake because our clock radios or cell phone alarms tell us to not because the sun has come up. We sleep because we have accomplished what we want for the day, not because the sun has set. We work indoors instead of spending our time outside where we, as humans, began.

Due to this our bodies are not aligned right and so this unbalances the levels of hormones, neurotransmitters and other chemicals that are at the crux of the mood we are in. When these are out of balance a person will suffer from Circadian Rhythm Disorder.

Researchers have been studying this for a while now and agree that those who suffer from some types of depression can be made to feel better by making some lifestyle changes that will enhance their mood and lift their spirits. A well-balanced life that includes sunlight, sufficient sleep and good food will give a person a lot of energy and put them in a good mood. The ability to correct this disorder gives the sufferer the potential outlook of a healthy happy person.

To clarify it more circadian rhythms are what the body uses to manage appetite, vigor, rest, sexual arousal, and mood. So, when it is out of kilter the person suffers and what they deal with most is mood disorders, depression.

The good thing is that this is a known issue and continued research has shown how to put the body back in balance. Studies have proven that realigning the circadian rhythms of the body can help to sweep away depression.

The study of the body's circadian rhythms is a real science that has been around since the eighteen hundreds. It was studied in earnest beginning in the 1960s as more evidence of the importance of the body's natural clock became apparent.

The science that studies this is called chronobiology. Studies show that when the body is out of balance it can cause depression, other mood disorders, sleep disorders, and eating disorders.

By the 1980s the studies were taken even more seriously and it was becoming apparent to researchers that without this balance of light and dark, the hormones and natural body chemicals were not released properly and so were confusing the body's signals.

The outcome of a lot of this research is light therapy. This has proven to have very good results. People need more exposure to natural sunlight like we did before we built houses that blocked out natural light.

Humans require more than can be given in the minutes between leaving the house and getting into the car. It's worth trying anything that can naturally realign the body and so naturally dispel an episode of depression even if it's a science that few have heard of.

Bad habits Curling up: Did you know that sleeping all curled up is not good for your back? This could result in back pain. The best way to fall asleep is on your back, flat out, with maybe a pillow under your knees to flex your lower back. After time needed : When it comes to sleep, can you have too much of a good thing? It's true a good night's sleep is essential for health. But oversleeping has been linked to a host of medical problems, including diabetes, heart disease, and increased risk of death. Bad habits : Don t eat or drink before bedtime The body is less effective in processing and metabolizing extra nourishment so if you feed it a few hours (or even minutes) before going to bed, your body will take some extra effort with the digestion instead of winding itself down to rest. Avoid eating anything past 10 p.m.If hunger pangs strike, have some crackers and a glass of milk but don t fall asleep with a full stomach.If water eases your hunger pains, have a glass of water instead. Don t take your work to bed. The bed is supposed to be the place where you get rest and sleep not a place to get your work done.Don t take that laptop to bed and try to check your e-mail messages or finish a report.If you do this regularly enough, you'll soon find that your bed has become an extension of your desk.When that happens, the line between working and sleeping blurs and you'll find yourself with one bad sleeping habit that can be hard to break. Avoid computer befor bed Avoid stimulants before sleeping This is another bad sleeping habit you must change.Coffee, chocolates and other things that contain caffeine and other types of stimulants will keep your body going for hours, way past your normal bedtime.Try to keep the refreshing products for your morning break.They're not called pick-me-ups for nothing.