Remember Process-S and Process-C from Day 1? Well, we’re about to go into a bit more detail.

Think of Process-C, the circadian rhythm, as a sine curve that naturally rises and falls throughout the 24-hour period. Think of Process-S as a curve that continues to rise relentlessly as you remain awake but falls as you sleep. The greater the distance between the 2 curves, the more tired you feel.

So, when you’re pulling an all-nighter and not sleeping like you’re supposed to, Process-C (your drive to be awake) is at its lowest point and Process-S (your drive to be asleep) continues to rise. At this point, you feel completely exhausted.

But, as the morning comes along, the Process-C curve begins to rise as your circadian rhythm naturally increases your drive to be awake. Even though Process-S is still rising into the morning, thanks to Process-C, the distance between the two curves is not as great as it was at night, and you don’t feel as tired as you did.

But, just wait until your Process-C naturally falls again later in the day.

Borbély, A. A. (1982). A two process model of sleep regulation. Human Neurobiology, 1(3), 195-204. Retrieved fromhttps://search.proquest.com/docview/616860359?accountid=14496