Scientists found that the body's internal clock wakes a person from sleep as effectively as a regular alarm clock.
This was reported by URA-Inform with reference to the Daily Star.
They explained that the sleep cycle is controlled by a protein known as PER. The level of this protein changes during the day and reaches its maximum in the evening, and decreases at night.
“When PER is low, your blood pressure drops, your heart rate slows, and your cognitive function slows, making you feel sleepy,” they noted.
So if a person follows a regular sleep schedule and wakes up at the same time every day, their body will learn to increase PER in anticipation of an alarm. About an hour before a person is supposed to wake up, PER levels rise, along with body temperature and blood pressure.
“In preparation for the stress of waking up, your body releases a mix of stress hormones, such as cortisol. This gradually lightens your sleep, so you often wake up before your alarm goes off,” — scientists explained.
So, to avoid a rude interruption of sleep, the body begins to increase the content of PER protein and stress hormones early in the evening. That is why the awakening process does not happen suddenly.
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