Your body is one supremely complex system, there’s no doubt – but according author Jennifer Ackerman, it’s also pretty predictable. In her book ‘Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream: A Day in the Life of Your Body’, Jennifer points out the ideal time of the day to do almost anything, from scheduling an important meeting to getting busy between the sheets! We break it down to help you make the most of your day:
Hour by hour
The best time to accomplish everything in the morning;
6.30am
When you wake up, you experience “brief but violent” shifts in your heart rate and blood pressure, leaving your cognitive skills as poor as when you’re drunk! That grogginess is known as ‘sleep inertia’ and it generally clears within ten minutes, but its effects can linger for up to two hours — so no heavy lifting or driving immediately after waking.
7 – 8am
The early hours of the morning present the perfect opportunity to practise yoga and pilates, as this time is ideal for workouts involving balance, accuracy and fine motor control.
Most of us have sex at night at around 11pm, but a morning session between the sheets makes more sense, as our testosterone levels are at their highest (they fall again starting around 8am).
Clot-forming blood platelets are “more abundant and stickier” at 8am than at other times of the day, so Ackerman recommends to shave your legs during your morning shower.
10 – 11am
Preparing for an important presentation? Studying for exams? Scored a job interview? Most of us are at our sharpest between 2.5 and four hours after rising, so our ability to think clearly and learn peaks before lunch. Schedule any mind taxing tasks and book any appointments with doctors, accountants and lawyers for mid-morning, when everyone’s brains are firing on all cylinders.
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