David steals a spear and jug from Saul, who lies deep in a sleep imposed by God. Engraving.

Delilah caresses the sleeping Samson as she sets her barber to work. Engraving by J.B. de Poilly after F. Verdier, 1698.

Two Malay men and a woman sit and recline on the floor smoking opium. Wood-engraving, late 19th century.

The transfiguration of Christ; Moses and Elijah appear alongside him. Etching by M. Küssell after J.W. Baur.

Plain speaking about HIV and AIDS and how it affects women, written for women by the experts - women. 2, Positive result? / Positively Women.

Headache cured : Dr. Mettaur's headache pills : a certain relief / Brown Chemical Company.

Florence Nightingale. Coloured mezzotint by C.A.Tomkins, 1855, after J. Butterworth.

Two peasants in a dingy ale-house; one sleeps on a bench and the other urinates in a bucket. Engraving by J. Groensveld after A. Brouwer.

A sleeping pedlar's posterior is examined by monkeys, who play with his goods. Line engraving after P. van Harlingen after P. Bruegel, c. 1610.

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This documentary looks at the secret world of our biological clocks. Areas covered include why it is so hard for teenagers to get out of bed in the morning - between the ages of 13 and 21 all people sleep later into the morning than at any other time in their lives. One headmaster is rethinking the structure of the timetable in his school in order to accommodate the teenagers' most attentive times of the day. Between 6am-12pm our blood pressure is at its highest, thus making this the most common time a heart attacks occurs. Mid-afternoon urges to sleep are not to do with food but more to do with the time of day when our body clocks tell us we need a micro sleep. The central body clock lies deep within the brain but every individual organ also has a body clock - this can be exploited when using drugs to kill disease within the body. Chemotherapy medications, for instance, can be given at a time in which the body's own defense system is at its lowest so fewer good blood cells are killed by the drug. Exercise is best taken between 4-6pm, the time at which most athletic records have been broken. Drinking alcohol at lunchtime will make one sleepy while at 7-9pm it has the least potent effect. Eating the main meal of the day in the evening is not natural for our bodyclock, most calories are meant to be consumed at breakfast or lunchtime. The time one feels ready for bed is individually variable, but light can be used to adjust our natural sleep patterns. Night shift workers are prone to more serious illness than day workers although more babies are born between 3-5am.

Horizon

The secret life of your body clock.

Saint Peter kneels and holds a book, conducting the service

The Dormition of the Virgin Mary, surrounded by the apostles. Engraving by B. Eredi after C. Maratta.

1 photomechanical reproduction : collotype ; image 20.6 x 16.3 cm

God creating Eve from Adam and blessing her. Collotype after W. Blake.

The philosophy of sleep / by Robert Macnish, LL.D., author of "The anatomy of drunkenness," and member of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.

"Drawing on diverse archival sources and material artifacts, Handley reveals that the way we sleep is as dependent on culture as it is on biological and environmental factors. After 1660 the accepted notion that sleepers lay at the mercy of natural forces and supernatural agents was challenged by new medical thinking about sleep's relationship to the nervous system. This breakthrough coincided with radical changes shaping everything from sleeping hours to bedchambers. Handley's illuminating work documents a major evolution in our conscious understanding of the unconscious"-- Provided by publisher.

Sleep in early modern England / Sasha Handley.

Wellcome uses cookies.

Sleep

Images

Catalogue

The secret life of your body clock.

The Dormition of the Virgin Mary, surrounded by the apostles. Engraving by B. Eredi after C. Maratta.

God creating Eve from Adam and blessing her. Collotype after W. Blake.

The philosophy of sleep / by Robert Macnish, LL.D., author of "The anatomy of drunkenness," and member of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.

Sleep in early modern England / Sasha Handley.

Today’s opening times

Wellcome uses cookies.

Sleep

Images

Catalogue

The secret life of your body clock.

The Dormition of the Virgin Mary, surrounded by the apostles. Engraving by B. Eredi after C. Maratta.

God creating Eve from Adam and blessing her. Collotype after W. Blake.

The philosophy of sleep / by Robert Macnish, LL.D., author of "The anatomy of drunkenness," and member of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.

Sleep in early modern England / Sasha Handley.

Wellcome Collection

Today’s opening times