Life in Sync: The Science of Internal Clocks and How We’re Disrupting Them

Why we need to reconnect with nature’s biological rhythms--and rediscover the benefits of a good night’s sleep

All of life is profoundly shaped by the daily, monthly, and yearly cycles of our planet, and all creatures have internal timekeeping systems that rely on cues from the surrounding environment. With modern technology, we are changing our environments--and by proxy, the ecosystems around us--to override these innate rhythms of life. But at what cost? Life in Sync reveals how Earth’s rotations shape our biology, what human sleep cycles looked like before the advent of artificial light, and why technology can’t free us from the constraints of our circadian clocks.

Philippa Gander explores the science behind the biological rhythms that animate us and our world, blending captivating storytelling with illuminating examples ranging from migratory birds and hibernating squirrels to jet-lagged pilots and astronauts in space. She shows how genetic circadian clocks are an ancient evolutionary adaptation that we share with all life on the planet, and how our rapidly expanding use of artificial light at night disrupts the time cues for entire ecosystems. Gander explains why cutting back on sleep adversely affects our well-being, safety, and longevity, and how breakthroughs in sleep science offer solutions to bring our lives more in harmony with nature’s rhythms.

An astonishing journey of scientific discovery, Life in Sync unlocks the mysteries of biological time--and offers new perspectives for anyone who has ever given up a good night’s sleep for the sake of their hectic waking hours.

Philippa Gander is professor emeritus and founder of the Sleep/Wake Research Centre at Massey University in New Zealand. An internationally renowned expert on sleep and circadian rhythms, she is a fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand and an officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit.