Dhaka, Oct. 19 -- Have you ever woken up a minute before your alarm goes off? The experience can feel uncanny, as though your body has been counting down the hours in the dark.

Scientists point to the body's internal clock and a morning rise in hormones that help prepare us to wake up, India Today reports.

How Does the Body Know When to Wake Up?

Deep in the brain, a tiny cluster of cells called the suprachiasmatic nucleus acts as the body's master clock. It regulates the circadian rhythm, the roughly 24-hour cycle that influences when we feel sleepy and when we become alert.

When people go to sleep and wake up at similar times every day, the body clock learns their routine. It can begin preparing the body to wake before the expected h...