Three Americans were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discoveries about the body's daily rhythms.

ABC reports that the laureates are Jeffery C. Hall with the University of Maine, Michael Rosbash with Brandeis University and Michael W. Young with Rockefeller University.

Juleen Zierath of the Nobel academy said the winners have "raised awareness of the importance of a proper sleep hygiene."

The researchers isolated a gene that controls the normal daily biological rhythm.

The Nobel Assembly released a statement.

"The paradigm-shifting discoveries by the laureates established key mechanisms for the biological clock. Our wellbeing is affected when there is a temporary mismatch between our external environment and this internal biological clock, for example when we travel across several time zones and experience 'jet lag.' There are also indications that chronic misalignment between our lifestyle and the rhythm dictated by our inner time keeper is associated with increased risk for various diseases."