14 DAY TRIAL // If you never coincide with your partner when to make love, or s/he prefers it in the evening and you at dawns or the other way around, this means that your inner clocks are not synchronized.
The most of us tune our activities after a social schedule: we wake up, work, eat, have fun, make love following the social rhythm. But these rhythms don't always correspond to our inner clocks. These rhythms are determined by the sunlight, hormones and chemicals. Our biological cycles affect our capacities, emotional state, intellectual efficiency and sex drive. Interferences in these rhythms perturb our character and mood.
The shortest cycle is the "ultradaily", whose frequency is lower than 24 hours and determine the heart beats and breathing; there is the rest-activity cycle which every 90 minute decreases our focusing and triggers our appetite and primary physiological needs.
On a bigger scale, we experience stationary, monthly and weekly cycles, even if those that could help us most in organizing our life are the daily or circadian cycles, which repeat every 24 hours.
A circadian cycle is like this:
7 a.m. Waking up. The body receives chemical signals to get out from the sleep, even if still sleepy and unable of great efforts. Making any exercise now would make the heart work uselessly.
8.a.m. Making love and breakfasting. The hormones have reached the peak of the day, that's why making love is good now. The digestive tract also has its maximum efficiency now, transforming the sugars, which during the night are transformed into fats, in energy. Smoking now is very harmful, as the arteries get blocked more.
9.a.m. Getting an injection and going to dentist. The body is now less receptive to pain. At this moment the body is also more resistant to X-rays.
10.a.m. Studying, giving a conference. Our mental and body machine is functioning at its best. It's the best moment to study for an exam or to prepare a speech, as the long-term memory is very effective now. (but long-term memory functions best later).
11a.m.-1 p.m. Maximum alert. Reasoning ability is highest now and mental efforts are easy now. It's the day moment for work meetings or taking important decisions. It's necessary to take a brake at 1.30 p.m., as we enter the decline of the midday.
2 p.m. Eating and resting. There is an imperious need to reinstate power. We suffer a decline of our physical and mental capacities now. 10-20 napping minutes will be sufficient to refresh us. Sporadic and large siestas will just tire us more.
3 p.m. Coffee time. Warning! If you have sleep problems, do not drink any coffee or other stimulant after 5 p.m.
4-5 p.m. Simple tasks. Physical works or those that do not require memory (to classify, make photocopies) or simple home works are better done at these hours.
6-8 p.m. Physical and mental exercises. Now, the physical and intellectual efficiency are the highest. Now we must practice a sport or other activity that involve the hand's dexterity.
Even if the reading speed decreases, comprehension and long-term memory are better now.
8-10 p.m. Dinning and resting. Our senses are more alert, we smell more scents and feel more flavors.
Beginning with 6 p.m., the pancreas is especially active, that's why the liver stands better the alcohol now.
Now we are in the best mood.
We do not have to eat later than 10 p.m., because - in this case - food will be digested the next day.
11-12 p.m. Now more cortisone is secreted and the body has problems in eliminating toxic products. Smokers should smoke now the last cigarette. The pulse and body temperature decrease and we are calmer and more relaxed. Those who stay awake now will be more uneasy after midnight.
1-4 a.m. Total lack of efficiency. The focusing capacity is at its lowest. Night workers will produce most errors now. Drivers should be more careful, because we react more slowly to optical stimulants. Our skin is more sensitive to cold, but less to pain.
Towards 3 a.m., the melatonin hormone is secreted. At this moment, the depressive persons use to wake up and more suicides take place.
4-5. a.m. Born or dead. The blood pressure reaches the highest values and stroke and heart failures are most favored. Most babies are born now; birth pains are less intense now. Births occur more at 4 a.m. And deaths at 6 a.m.
Between persons, the circadian rhythm may vary with 1-2 hours.
The "daylight" persons wake up before the clock rings, and they are totally awake. They prefer working and making love in the morning because, after the sunset, they suffer an unstoppable decline. If they do not sleep early, the next day they won't be able to sleep till the evening comes.
The "night birds" have difficulties with waking up and getting out of bed. Till midday, they are in a bad mood. Their energy and creativity increase after midday and, if they do not go to bed early, after that, they will sleep for a very long time. They prefer making love during the night.