Did you ever notice that the meetings you have scheduled for afternoons around 2pm tend to be the toughest ones to get through? Blame it on the body’s inner clock, otherwise known as your circadian rhythm.

The circadian rhythm refers to biological processes, such as sleep patterns, that occur every 24 hours. In fact, circadian rhythms don’t only occur in humans—researchers have identified the same rhythms throughout the animation kingdom, in plants, animals, fungi and even cyanobacteria.

The science behind these mysterious patters is a bit murky. Research has established that the body has biological clocks comprised of groupings of molecules in cells throughout the body that control the circadian rhythms, and even a “master clock” to control all the body’s biological clocks.

As such, circadian rhythms are the outcome of natural factors in the body, but they are also affected by signals from the environment. For example, light is the primary factor influencing your circadian rhythms. Researchers have found that light actually turns on and turns off genes that control an organism’s internal clocks.

Circadian rhythms play a major role in how well we perform the tasks form our day-to-day routines. This is also why some tasks are better performed at a particular time of day. For example, because the body is cooler in the morning, it is also more susceptible to injury at that time, so morning marathons may not be advisable.

Although it can be difficult to schedule some of our tasks to best suit our circadian rhythms, due to our jobs and the needs of our children, for example, it is usually possible to make simple adjustments that will play a part in a healthier and happier lifestyle.

Here are a few things to keep in mind as you plan your week:

Your job: Remember that some kinds of work may be better suited to one time of day than others. For example, mornings are best for analytical work, peaking at couple hours before noon. This is why many writers start their day early in the morning and work until noon, before moving on to other tasks. Also, note that the body’s temperature and cognitive ability are lowest at five in the morning, so a warm shower and brisk walk may be a good way to kick-start oneself to alertness.

Somewhat ironically, the best time of day for problem solving is in the evening, as the mind begins to tire, according to professor of Mareike Wieth, an assistant professor of psychological sciences at Michigan’s Albion College and an author of a study published in the journal Thinking and Reasoning.

The study found that when subjects were required to solve problems requiring either analytical thinking or creative thinking, they solved the problems that required creativity far better at the time of day when they were not at their peak.

Eating: One study tested two groups of mice given identical diets but who were fed at different intervals. One group was permitted to eat at any time of day; the other was fed only during an eight hour period during which they were active. The former group had a tendency toward obesity, diabetes and liver disease, in addition to cholesterol that was two times higher than the other group. The findings suggest that our largest meals should be consumed in the middle of the day with more of a light evening dinner.

Napping: This bastion of many European cultures may have a physiological reason for existing. Since we are prone to sleepiness around 2pm, a nap at that time of day may help us maintain alertness through the rest of the day. Research has found that taking a short (IE one hour) nap can significantly boost alertness for up to ten hours. Moreover, pilots who napped for approximately thirty minutes saw improved performance by an average of 34% and alertness increased by more than 50%. Ironically, naps longer than 45 minutes may leave us feeling “groggy and disoriented” for up to 30 minutes after waking.

Exercise:  Although there are some arguments for physical activity and training in the morning (habit forming is better and blood pressure is lower, for example) physical performance is most enhanced and the risk of injury minimized between 3:00 pm and 6:00 pm daily. Also improved in the late afternoon is lung performance, which has been shown to reach an average of 17.6% improved efficiency at 5pm. Muscular strength is up to 6% increased between 2pm and 6pm compared to other times of day.

Study habits: Students have been found to achieve the best studying in the morning, at the same time that cognitive ability peaks. Reviewing already studied material, however, is best done just before going to bed (in the evening), in part because processes that occur during sleep help to improve recall.

As chiropractors, our goal at Rice Family Chiropractic is to help patients in need of treatment; however, the ultimate goal of chiropractic care is for each of our patients to achieve the best spinal health possible through holistic and natural means. To make this happen, we encourage all our patients to listen to their body in all its complexities, from its circadian rhythms to its need for healthful food. As always, we hope you’ll call or visit us if you have any questions about this or other aspects of your spinal health.