An interesting conversation with my daughter sparked off this article. She has started her work online with a college in the US( a different time zone!) and we were figuring a doable timetable. Her suggestion to me was to let her sleep longer in the morning. Then I sat her down and explained the working of our body clock and she totally understood. So without giving sermons if we are able to explain our point scientifically , I guess it is a win – win situation.So why should we sleep on time and get up on time and if this is not possible how can we cope?
• According to ancient science every organ works efficiently at a particular time.
• 5am to 7am is for the bowel movements and to get the body ready for the nutritional intake of the day.
• 7am to 9am – Stomach – The digestive fires are highest so the saying eat breakfast like a king works!!
• 9am to 11am- pancreas – Can have a heavy brunch at this time too. Maybe that’s why our ancestors had a direct lunch at 11am.
• 11am to 1Pm – heart – This is were food enters the blood stream and is pumped to different areas of the heart. Heart and small intestine work here
.• 1pm to 3pm – Make sure your largest meals are eaten before 2pm.Here digestion continues in small intestine.
• 3pm to 7pm – involves bladder and kidney – this is the detox time for these organs• 7pm to 9pm – Body moves into a slower state of metabolism.
• 9pm to 11pm – Body slows down even more . The best time to sleep is 10pm.• 11pm to 1am – All cleansing processes begins at this time.
• 1am to 3pm – Liver- Cleansing of the liver happens in this place.
• 3am-5am – Lung – Respiration, oxygenation, and expulsion of waste gases.
This is the reason for the saying “Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” So it pays to know how the body clock works.So if your child/husband/wife has to work in a different time zone then what can you do?
• Try to sleep by 1am latest so that we can get up at least by 8:30am the next day.
• This is to make sure the routine doesn’t change.
• It is important to have a routine even if we sleep late and get up late due to unavoidable circumstances
.• Eating healthy and having an exercise routine is extremely important.
• Having a small cup of low fat milk before bed will help maintain blood sugar levls. Do not have anything heavy post 10pm and definitely dont have junk food.
A Harvard study has proved that even if we cannot follow the early to bed early to rise way, having a regular wake and sleep routine is very important .Hope this gives everyone an insight on the need to have a healthy routine or dinacharya and what we can do if late nights are unavoidable.
Have a good day!