A set going-to-bed time and wake-up time are important to keep the
body clock on track.
In a study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine on Wednesday, the scientists showed for the first time how our internal
body clocks regulate wound healing by skin cells, and optimise healing during the day.
At each stage, blood and fat samples were taken to track volunteers'
body clocks.
Your
body clock (AKA circadian rhythm) gets completely confused.
Given that our
body clocks appear to play a role in defending us from invading pathogens, their molecular machinery may offer a new, universal drug target to help fight infection," adds Professor Reddy.
The findings - published in the Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences - may help explain why shift workers, whose
body clocks are routinely disrupted, are more prone to health problems including infections and chronic disease.
These irregular schedules can produce what is known as 'social jet lag,' which similarly unwinds our
body clocks so they no longer keep accurate time, and thus can lead to the same effects on human health as shift work.
Some participants were also given portable blue-light light boxes to place at their workstations to help reset their internal
body clocks and improve their performance, Lockley said.
Afternoon sessions are an option because players get longer in their beds, beat the rush-hour traffic and training closer to match time gets their
body clocks used to it.
The scientists also documented alterations in the timing of hormone production in the participants with schizophrenia, which confirmed that their
body clocks were disturbed.
Upcoming research will focus on how the brain centers that control various
body clocks communicate with each other, Dr.
