只有在倒时差或难以入睡时，我们才会注意自己的生物钟。其实，正像万事万物都有其运行规律一样，大脑的生物钟也有日夜轮回、黑白交替的节律。而身体的所有功能每天也都在根据生物钟来回运转，进而影响着我们的生老病死。
最新出版的美国《新闻周刊》撰文指出，人体有许多节奏规律，了解并按照这些规律生活，人们会变得更加健康。美国科学家罗伯托·雷菲内提和史蒂文·布朗在文中总结列举出了七大常见节律。
1.人体体温在清晨睡醒之前最低，在下午四五点钟最高。如果早晨7点体温达到37.2摄氏度，那么你很有可能发烧了。但如果在下午5点体温达到这一水平，那身体一切正常。
2.凌晨突发心脏病的几率是其他时间的两倍。
3.人的出生高峰时间在上午和午后。
4.自杀的高发时间也在上午和午后。
5.生物钟是医生安排病人在一天中吃药的最好依据。比如，阿司匹林和抗组胺药上午吃药效最好。某些类型的癌症，化疗如果在晚上进行就更有效，毒副作用也更小。
6.和一天中的其他时间相比，人们更容易在晚上入睡之前进行性生活。
7.如果我们在完全黑暗的环境中生活，生物钟走一圈的时间会越来越长，直到阳光重新设定它为止。“时钟基因”控制着我们的体温、激素分泌以及大部分的细胞活动。
译文:
Seven physiological rhythms affect birth, ageing, sickness and death.
Only when getting jet lag or having difficulty falling asleep, we will pay attention to our biological clocks. In fact, as anything in the world will happen or operate in a regular pattern, the brain's biological clock will also operate in rhythm with the alternation of day and night. All functions of human bodies will also operate repeatedly according to biological clocks, affecting our birth, ageing, sickness and death.
In an article in the latest issue of《Newsweekly》in the USA, it is pointed out that there are many rhythms and patterns concerning human bodies. Understanding those patterns and living according to them will make people healthier. In the article, two American scientists, Roberto and Steven, summarize and recite seven common rhythms and patterns.
1. Body temperature is lowest while waking up in early morning, and is highest between 4 and 5 p.m.. If it is as high as 37.2 degrees Celsius at 7 a.m., then you may probably run a fever. But if it is at such a level at 5 p.m., then it is a normal body temperature.
2. The probability of acute heart disease attacks in the small hours is double that in other time of the day.
3. The number of birth peaks in the morning and afternoon.
4. The number of suicide also peaks in the morning and afternoon.
5. Biological clock is the best basis on which a doctor tells the patient when to take medicine. For example, aspirin and antihistamine should be taken in the morning in order to achieve best efficacy. In some kinds of cancers, it will be more efficacious and side effect will be less harmful if chemotherapy is undergone at night.
6. Compared with other time of a day, it is easier for people to have sex before falling asleep at night.
7. If we live in a completely dark environment, it will take a longer and longer time for the hour hands in biological clocks to do a lap, until the clocks are set by sunlight anew. "Clock genes" are ever controlling our body temperature, the secretion of hormones and most cellular activities.