Going to bed early

[dude102]

Why would going to bed at 10PM and waking up at 7AM consistently be any different than going to bed at 12AM and waking up at 9AM consistently? I mean, its still the same hours of rest... Can our body detect the actual time or something like a nuclear clock? It doesn't really make much sense...

[Trooper Keith]

It doesn't detect time, but it has a clock of its own built in. The body follows a roughly 24 hour physiological cycle called a circadian rhythm. The cycle is often mediated by sunlight, but it still continues at roughly 24 hours even for individuals who do not go outside.

Changing from a routine cycle of 12-9 to a cycle of 10-7 is entirely possible, but requires readjusting the body's cycle slightly. You can do this by artificial sunlight exposure, using supplements like melatonin, or just laying down to sleep at 10 for a few nights and not doing anything else.