Programme Index

Discover 11,128,835 listings and 279,777 playable programmes from the BBC

Horizon

2018

Episode 9: Body Clock: What Makes Us Tick?

Duration: 59 minutes

First broadcast: on BBC Two WalesLatest broadcast: on BBC Two Northern Ireland HD

We all have a biological clock ticking away inside us that governs our daily rhythms. This affects our health as much as our diet and whether we exercise. So what can we do to manage this internal clock better?

To find out, evolutionary biologist Ella Al-Shamahi locks former commando Aldo Kane in an abandoned nuclear bunker with no way of telling the time - for ten days. Monitored around the clock by a team of scientists, he carries out a barrage of tests to uncover exactly what makes our body clock tick.

Above ground, Ella meets two time-starved couples to test the latest thinking on how we can manage our body clocks better. In trying to improve their sleep, and their lives, she uncovers practical advice that we can all take on board. Studies on shift workers show that regularly disrupting our sleep makes us more at risk of diabetes, heart disease and even cancer. So getting to grips with our biological clock couldn't be more important. Show less

Contributors

Presenter:
Ella Al-Shamahi
Presenter:
Aldo Kane
Director:
Tom Cook
Producer:
Tom Cook
Executive Producer:
David Dugan
Production Company:
Windfall Films Ltd

About this data

This data is drawn from the data stream that informs BBC's iPlayer and Sounds. The information shows what was scheduled to be broadcast, meaning it was/is subject to change and may not be accurate. More