What is Circadian rhythm?

A circadian rhythm is your body’s 24-hour clock that helps you know when to be awake and when to sleep.

Imagine your body has a little timer inside it, like the one on your mom's coffee maker. This timer goes tick-tock, tick-tock all day, telling your body things like: "It’s time to wake up!" or "Time for bed now!"

Your circadian rhythm uses light to know what time it is. When the sun comes out in the morning, ping!, your brain gets a message saying: "Time to get going!" You feel awake and ready to play.

When the sun goes down at night, ping!, your brain says: "Time to rest!" Your body starts getting sleepy, just like how you get sleepy after a long day of playing or school.

Your circadian rhythm is like a dance between your body and the world around you. If you stay up too late watching videos on your tablet, your timer gets confused, like when you forget to wind down your toy before bedtime.

But if you keep a regular sleep schedule, your body’s clock stays happy and in sync, just like how your favorite cartoon plays at the same time every day!