Just one week without artificial lights can magically make you a morning person

[xchrom]

http://grist.org/list/just-one-week-without-artificial-lights-can-magically-make-you-a-morning-person/

?w=470&h=352

Eight lucky people out in Colorado got to be part of the best scientific study ever. It involved, basically, going camping and sleeping. And that was about it.

And, at the end of it, they were all sleeping better.

The key, Smithsonian reports, was that they had no artificial light sources:

Eight people spent a week camping in the Colorado Rockies without any source of artificial light. To a person, the time spent outdoors during day and night restored a natural sleep cycle, turning even night owls into early risers.

You’ve probably experienced this on day two or three of a camping trip: You fall asleep at 10 and wake up at 6 a.m., thinking “jeez, how is it possible that I’m up this early?” Imagine how good it would feel if your day started that way, AND you didn’t then have to go pee in the woods!

[treestar]

1. Firelight included?

Before 10, when it was dark, you'd have to avoid TV and turn out the lights - couldn't read, or could do it by firelight. But it could be worth it. Interesting.

[randome]

2. Screw Daylight Savings Time!

Congress just fucks us over with it anyways when they change it so they can pat themselves on the backs and say they did something about our energy needs.

I would have no problem with scheduling work days and school days around sunrise and sunset times. I don't see a downside to that, either.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Stop looking for heroes. BE one.[/center][/font][hr]

[IDemo]

3. I'm up at 5:00am generally, and work under fluorescents all day

There's nothing like the cool morning during a blazing Summertime, whether for puttering in the yard or walking the dogs and enjoying the constellations above.

[PotatoChip]

4. I'm a very early riser- Like 4am-ish, and quite often, earlier.

The S.O. leaves for work @ that time, so I think I've just got myself caught up in his schedule. And I'm fortunate in that my own schedule is flexible enough to accommodate that. We both go to bed super early. I've really come to like it this way.

As an aside, it's also kind of fun to get on DU so early. I'm in the east, so these early hours often overlap w/the west coast night owls. It can get humorous at times, particularly on weekends when a few posters here and there have (shall we say) 'overindulged' a bit.

[LuvNewcastle]

10. I get up about the same time, sometimes a little earlier;

sometimes I let myself sleep until sunrise. I love those days when I get up early. Those hours from about 3 a.m. until sunrise are my favorite time of the day. It's all quiet and I have more energy to get things done. I'll go work out about 6:30, and have loads of energy. And you're right, DU can be very interesting in those early hours.

[jimlup]

5. I didn't need a study to know that...

I've spent a lot of time camping and hiking in Colorado and elsewhere.

My clock resets in about 24 hours... I much prefer the life without artificial light except maybe a fire from sunset 'til an hour into darkness.

[Scuba]

6. Getting up at 5:00 a.m. to milk cows during one's formative years will do it too.

[progressoid]

7. But I *like* to pee in the woods.

[NickB79]

19. My thought exactly!

The garden is a close second, but in the woods I don't have to worry about giving the little old lady next door a heart attack.

[blackspade]

8. what's wrong with peeing in the woods?

+1000 for this study.

[proReality]

13. Mosquitoes

n/t

[blackspade]

16. heh....

[NJCher]

9. The big hurricane Sandy taught me that

We were without power for 11 days, and I'm one of those "have to get things done" types of people, so I rapidly learned that if I was getting anything done, I would have to be up with the daylight. Sandy came as the days were getting shorter, so there wasn't much time for things that needed to be done in the light.

I learned something else interesting about operating with only natural daylight: it brought out a raw emotion that surprised me. Within only a few days, I was feeling so much more intensely. Life seemed more vibrant, colorful, and exciting.

I felt like a cave woman. The basic human emotions over things like hunger, sex, etc., were ramped up. If there had been a peach or apple tree around, I could see myself grabbing a fruit and downing it without regard to manners or propriety of any sort. Had my husband been around...well, need I say more?


Cher

[LuvNewcastle]

11. I worked the graveyard shift for years, and that caused me to have

an unhealthy lifestyle. My co-workers and I drank too much and took too many drugs because we were sleep-deprived and miserable much of the time. To work that shift all the time, you have to stay on that schedule on your days off, too, and you can't have much of a life. When I stopped working that shift and got on a sunrise-to-sunset schedule, I hardly ever got sick anymore and my chemical intake was drastically reduced. Most humans need a daylight cycle just like they need proper nutrition.

[magical thyme]

12. I can't wait until I can "retire"

so that I can go to bed early and get up early. Get so much more done and sleep so much better...

That's how it was when I rafted the Grand Canyon. I'd be nodding off in front of the campfire and ended up turning in earlier than just about everybody. But was one of the first up in the morning, too, except for the crew.

Peeing in the port-a-potty was fine, except for the morning that I ran into Alan who was first to the throne. While he was sitting there in the middle of the rocks and brush, a snake passed by. With rattles. Gaah.

[eppur_se_muova]

14. Meh. No big news here. Bright light in the morning will set your clock ...

doesn't matter whether it's natural or artificial, and you don't have to avoid artificial light for the rest of the day -- just avoid excessively bright lighting after morning.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_effects_on_circadian_rhythm

[nashville_brook]

15. this happens every time i go camping

i'm such a night owl, but even the first morning camping i'm ready to go at first light.

[Skittles]

17. I go to work at 5:30 PM so that would utterly SUCK to be up that early

[ThoughtCriminal]

18. Works great for me... During the Summer

Winter, not so much.