Explain+how+biological+factors+may+affect+one+cognitive+process.


 * Homeostatic || Relating to homeostasis, the physiological process by which the internal systems of the body (e.g. blood pressure, body temperature, acid-base balance) are maintained at equilibrium despite variations in the external conditions. ||
 * Circadian || of or relating to biological processes occurring at 24-hour intervals; "circadian rhythms" ||
 * Clock-Dependent Alerting || the inner biological clock which tells us the tames of day we should be sleeping, awake etc. ||

__**Biological Factors That Affect Sleep**__

Sleepiness is the tendency for a waking person to fall asleep. This tendency can be strong or weak, and depends on both homeostatic and circadian influences. Homeostatic determinants include the amount of time since a child last slept and the amount of sleep debt (i.e., previously poor or inadequate sleep over one or more nights) that the child is carrying. Sleep debts can only be paid back with sleep, and increasing homeostatic pressure to sleep cannot be denied.

The circadian system influences daytime sleepiness through clock-dependent alerting. Clock-dependent altering refers to the function of people's circadian system to promote wakefulness at certain times of their biological clock. Namely, at the beginning and just before the end of their biological "day"–thereby helping them wake from sleep in the morning and stay awake in the latter part of the day when homeostatic pressure increases. Clock-dependent alerting is lowest in the early afternoon, which helps to explain why an adolescent or young adult may find it easier to fall asleep in the early afternoon than in the early evening.

This can show that the biological need for sleep can affect our cognitive function such as our "biological" clock.