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First physical evidence of why you're an owl or a lark

newscientist.com

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Re: First physical evidence of why you're an owl or a lark

#21

Post by guard-of-terra »

basicallydan wrote: post #6
guard-of-terra wrote: post #4

"For example, research published last month suggests that night owls who cut their exposure to artificial light and boosted their exposure to sunlight found their body clocks shifted towards earlier waking and sleeping" Where I live there is not much sunlight except for a few months in a year. So I get up at 10:40, hopefully get to work at noon, go to sleep at 2AM. And don't feel so well.

Any chance of moving elsewhere?

I've not yet figured out where I want to live. I also fear losing connections with my few friends/social circle and relatives.

Re: First physical evidence of why you're an owl or a lark

#22

Post by galaktor »

Nursie wrote: post #20
galaktor wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been thinking about this a bit, too. It reminds me of an article I read (can't find the link) that described "segmented sleep" [1]; how our ancestors might have had two sleep phases because nights were longer (e.g. no electrical light). Creative people would often have worked in the quiet period between both sleeps. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Segmented_sleep

I don't think that would suit me either. When I'm awake I stay awake. Sleep likewise. It doesn't (and can't!) address the not-enough-hours-in-the-day thing.

I posted that more because I found it interesting, not because I think it would be very realistic to adopt such a pattern in "modern days".

If you want my advice (feel free to ignore me, I'm just a random guy on the internet):

If you aren't happy with how it's going for you (big if), identify the variables you can change, and experiment with them. What worked for me doesn't have to work for you, but I wouldn't count on "them" adding hours to the day anytime soon :-) Diet and exercise had a strong effect on my energy levels and sleep patterns, beyond that I'd just be guessing. The topic turns into biochemistry very fast, and I'm not very good at that. But at the end of the day, you're a machine, and that machine can be hacked. How, is up for you to find out.

Re: First physical evidence of why you're an owl or a lark

#24

Post by kalms »

I only read through the article once, and fast, but it does seem to imply that night owl equals not enough sleep. That, and the amount of participants in the test seemed a bit too low for a true statistical overview.

I'm a night owl, always have been, even after I had kids. Go to bed at 1am-2am and wake up 7:30-8:30 depending on schedule. Weekends all bets are off. Works well for me, but that's the thing: I don't think we're all that similar. Different patterns for different people.

Re: First physical evidence of why you're an owl or a lark

#25

Post by gutnor »

Osmium wrote: post #7
galaktor wrote: post #2

I used to think of myself as an owl. I'd hate getting up in the mornings and my most productive hours were somewhere between 11pm and 3am. I actively started changing my habits a few years ago, meaning I changed my diet to high-fibre+high-protein+high-(good)fat+low-carbs, stopped drinking alcohol cold turkey, get up earlier (~5am) before work to work out and go to sleep earlier (~10pm). This has worked wonders for me…

I'm in a similar place. I was definitely, emphatically an "owl" and absolutely convinced there was some genetic reason. I would always struggle to wake up but feel really productive in the late evening/early morning. If I tried to maintain a regular sleeping pattern, it would just drift later and later every night until it stopped at about 4/5am. And this has been the case all my adult life since I was a teenager. Ho…

There is another possibility. You were never really an owl.

I see that with myself, I live the owl life because

1. I love to be in bed. It actually do not matter when. 2. I hate going to bed when there is work the next day or it is a we day and I lose some of the so precious free time.

So that starts a vicious circle where I go to bed late, wake up late when I can, or be miserable when I can't. I don't know if I'm a owl or lark, the "owl" pattern in my life is artificially created.

Re: First physical evidence of why you're an owl or a lark

#27

Post by Nursie »

galaktor wrote: post #22
Nursie wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think that would suit me either. When I'm awake I stay awake. Sleep likewise. It doesn't (and can't!) address the not-enough-hours-in-the-day thing.

I posted that more because I found it interesting, not because I think it would be very realistic to adopt such a pattern in "modern days". If you want my advice (feel free to ignore me, I'm just a random guy on the internet): If you aren't happy with how it's going for you (big if ), identify the variables you can change, and experiment with them. What worked for me doesn't have to work for you, but I wouldn't count…

Advice is always helpful, especially from someone who has been owlish and found a way to change.

I go through phases of being happy with it and not, guess we'll see if/when I get annoyed enough to have another go at 'fixing' it.

Re: First physical evidence of why you're an owl or a lark

#28

Post by Osmium »

gutnor wrote: post #25
Osmium wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm in a similar place. I was definitely, emphatically an "owl" and absolutely convinced there was some genetic reason. I would always struggle to wake up but feel really productive in the late evening/early morning. If I tried to maintain a regular sleeping pattern, it would just drift later and later every night until it stopped at about 4/5am. And this has been the case all my adult life since I was a teenager. Ho…

There is another possibility. You were never really an owl. I see that with myself, I live the owl life because 1. I love to be in bed. It actually do not matter when. 2. I hate going to bed when there is work the next day or it is a we day and I lose some of the so precious free time. So that starts a vicious circle where I go to bed late, wake up late when I can, or be miserable when I can't. I don't know if I'm a…

> There is another possibility. You were never really an owl.

Entirely possible :) I find the possibility intriguing, because when I was living the "owl" life you'd never have been able to persuade me that I wasn't actually an owl, especially because I'd tried and failed so many times to get change my sleep patterns before it finally clicked. It does make me wonder how many other people out there are like me in that regard.

For me, personally, it really highlighted how little you know about your own body compared to what you think you know, which is completely contrary to what I would've expected and very interesting to me.

Re: First physical evidence of why you're an owl or a lark

#29

Post by galaktor »

Nursie wrote: post #27
galaktor wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I posted that more because I found it interesting, not because I think it would be very realistic to adopt such a pattern in "modern days". If you want my advice (feel free to ignore me, I'm just a random guy on the internet): If you aren't happy with how it's going for you (big if ), identify the variables you can change, and experiment with them. What worked for me doesn't have to work for you, but I wouldn't count…

Advice is always helpful, especially from someone who has been owlish and found a way to change. I go through phases of being happy with it and not, guess we'll see if/when I get annoyed enough to have another go at 'fixing' it.

As I mentioned above, I kind of had to change once I had kids and a day job. I might still be owling (heh) if my priorities weren't forced into a change that way.

Good luck :-)

Re: First physical evidence of why you're an owl or a lark

#30

Post by LaGrange »

jameswburke wrote: post #5

I'm still not sure what the benefits of waking up and being functional early are, besides a societal one. Ignoring my possible work relations, what difference does it make if I respond to emails at 3pm, have breakfast at 5, work until 10, eat again, work until 2am, relax until the sun comes up, and sleep to do it again. Again, society doesn't work this way and many times there are adjustments to account for this (ear…

One word: sunlight.
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