Would you believe the best time to enjoy love-making is 5:48 in the morning?!

Timing, as the saying goes, is everything. And when it comes to the human body, this couldn’t be truer. Our ups and downs over a 24-hour period are ruled by our ‘circadian rhythms’ – fluctuations in our hormones, body temperature and blood pressure, which govern both our mood and energy levels.

Now, a growing body of scientific research is proving just how significant timing is to our daily emotions, needs and abilities. So, from the best time of day to have sex to the hour you’re most likely to die, here are the secret ways scientific finds reveal your body clock rules your life.

THE BEST TIME TO HAVE SEX IS … 5.48AM:- MALE and Female sex drives peak at different times of day, and there’s only a small window when both partners are truly in the mood.

Men’s levels of the hormone testosterone surge during the night, when they are around 25 to 50 per cent higher than normal.

This is because the pituitary gland, which governs its production, automatically switches on overnight.

A woman, by contrast, has to fight high levels of melatonin (the sleep hormone) in her blood. But women, too, have testosterone in their bodies that boosts sexual desire. And a recent study published in the British Medical Journal found that sunlight boosts testosterone by stimulating the hypothalamus (the part of the brain responsible for hormones).

So the rising sun gets both men and women in the mood. ‘Testosterone levels in men and women are highest in the morning,’ explains sex therapist Geraldine Myers. ‘The energy levels of both are highest, too.

Mentally, they are less occupied with life’s demands, so it’s a perfect time.’Experts pinpoint 5.48 am – just enough time for a woman to warm up before her partner loses the urge – as the best time for sex.

This is also when couples are most likely to reach orgasm, according to Italian research. Better set that alarm.