When women talk about their biological clocks, they’re usually talking about how age affects the ability to have children. But there’s another body clock that helps regulate reproduction: the internal clock that sets our daily rhythms. And you can set this clock for maximum fertility.
Most women are well aware of how time affects their bodies. We click off each passing year on our birthday, and mark off each month’s menstrual cycle. . .especially when we’re trying to conceive. The body also has daily rhythms—there are regular times each day when we feel hungry, feel tired, have the urge to exercise, want to make love. This internal clock—located in a region of the brain called the hypothalamus—regulates heart rate and body temperature, as well as hunger, thirst, sleep, and moods. The tiny timepiece also regulates sex drive and hormone production, and thus influences our ability to get pregnant.
Chronobiologists—specialists in the science of body time—believe that the influence of this clock is so strong that for each hour of the day and night there is an ideal time to take certain medications to ensure optimum results; an ideal time to exercise for peak performance . . . and an ideal time to have sex to make the most of increased libido, maximum sperm production, and chances of getting pregnant.
Light and temperature—internal and external—help direct the hypothalamus to set the body’s clock. We become hungry, tired, or energized at different times during the day in part because of our fluctuating body temperature. Depending on these temperature dips and rises throughout the day and night, we are more or less mentally sharp, athletically skilled. . .or fertile.
Normally our bodies should have no problem regulating these rises and falls with maximum efficiency. But because humans have altered the light and temperature in their environment with artificial/indoor lighting, and central heating and air-conditioning, our clocks may be compromised, threatening our health and fertility in subtle and not-so-subtle ways.
Fortunately, there are ways to reset the clock. According to Michael Smolensky, Ph.D., director of the Hermann Hospital Chronobiology Center at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, and journalist Lynne Lamberg, co-authors of the book The Body Clock Guide to Better Health (Owl Books, 2001), you can learn to tune into your body rhythms to enhance performance and pleasure. And for couples trying to have a baby, resetting this body clock for maximum fertility may even help speed up conception. Here’s how...
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Light Up Your Life for Maximum Fertility
People who travel across different time zones know that manipulating exposure to light can help ease the symptoms of jet lag. Women trying to conceive can also use light to up the odds of getting pregnant. Smolensky and Lamberg write that exposure to light helps keep the body clock functioning properly. “Light exposure, crucial for strong daily rhythms, also may ensure menstrual regularity.” And women with regular cycles are more likely to conceive easily. For women who menstruate irregularly, Lamberg says they “may be able to regulate their periods simply by leaving a light on while they sleep on days 13 to 17. If you try this tactic, use a lamp with a bare 100-watt bulb, placing it so the light is about a yard from your head.”
Get Your ZZZZZZZZZs Please . . . to Conceive
Every system in the body, including the reproductive system, functions better with sufficient sleep. And the sleep-wake cycle is the foundation of all daily rhythms. According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), healthy adults need an average of seven to nine hours of sleep a night for optimal performance, health, and safety. But according to the NSF’s 2005 Sleep in America poll, 71 percent of American adults say they get fewer than eight hours of sleep on weekdays, and 40 percent say they get fewer than seven. (The average amount of sleep reported was 6.8 hours on weekdays and 7.4 hours on weekends.) Clearly we’re in the midst of a national sleep deficit. Regulating your sleep is essential for resetting all your daily rhythms. Don’t try to outsmart your circadian clock with bright lights and caffeine infusions to help you stay up later and sleep less. Instead, aim for a regular bedtime and wake-time each day, including weekends, and a total of seven to nine hours of sleep (depending on your own body’s needs) each night.
Time For Baby-Making Sex!
You already know that couples need to have intercourse during a woman’s most fertile time—the day of ovulation and the few days immediately before—to conceive a child. But did you know that the time of day you have sex can also affect your chances of getting pregnant? Lamberg cites an Italian study at the University of Modena, which found that men produce more and faster sperm in the late afternoon. On the other hand, libidos rise in the late evening, and women are most likely to ovulate around midnight. So if you’re trying to conceive, head to the bedroom after the evening news, or skip happy hour at the local pub and make your own happy hour instead!
Your Body Clock Hour By Hour
Check your body’s daily planner to schedule your own plans—for pregnancy.
6am - 9am: Testosterone is highest in men: an excellent chance to conceive. For both men and women, weight is lowest and height is greatest (which also puts people in the mood!).
10am - 12pm: Concentration and mental alertness peak: good time for work or study.
2pm: Post-lunch dip in energy levels: take a siesta. Or take up a craft; hand-eye coordination is highest now.
4pm - 7pm: Lungs and heart at maximum efficiency. Muscle strength and flexibility peak. Good time for a visit to the gym. . .or to have baby-making sex. Men produce more and faster sperm now.
7pm - 8pm: Liver function and digestive system at full capacity, so the body tolerates alcohol best. Enjoy a glass of wine.
10pm - 1am: Libido at highest point: another ideal time to make love!
2am - 6am: Brain activity at lowest ebb. Body temperature is lowest. Sleep is deepest and dreaming is most intense. Make sure you get 7 to 9 hours every night.
Adapted from The Body Clock Guide to Better Health by Michael Smolensky, Ph.D., and Lynne Lamberg (Owl Books, 2001).
This article originally appeared in the Summer 2006 issue of Conceive Magazine.
Related Topics: Fertility Basics; Fertility Tips
