Circadian Rhythms (Yay or Nay)

stevenmu

Ok that's more of an intellectual title than I meant. Basically the circadian rhythm is the daily 24hr rhythm of getting up in the morning and going to bed every night, but it would apply to everyone who works by a 24hr clock including those who get up at night and got sleep in the morning.

Basically I'm wondering how many people follow a circadian 24hr rhythm like that, and how well it works for you.



Personally the most productive time I've had in my life was when I worked 40hr shifts. I was working as a security guard in the Boston WTC, I was just coming off a scheduled 16hr shift when 9/11 happened. Naturally there was all kinds of panic and I ended up working 40hrs straight. I wanted to do another few 8 hr slots but they wouldn't let me so I went off and got drunk instead. For the next couple of weeks I was working very long shifts like that follwed by a few days off.

In terms of schedule it was the best job I've ever had. How do other nocturnals feel about funny hours like that?

Doctor DooM

stevenmu wrote: »

Ok that's more of an intellectual title than I meant. Basically the circadian rhythm is the daily 24hr rhythm of getting up in the morning and going to bed every night, but it would apply to everyone who works by a 24hr clock including those who get up at night and got sleep in the morning.

Basically I'm wondering how many people follow a circadian 24hr rhythm like that, and how well it works for you.



Personally the most productive time I've had in my life was when I worked 40hr shifts. I was working as a security guard in the Boston WTC, I was just coming off a scheduled 16hr shift when 9/11 happened. Naturally there was all kinds of panic and I ended up working 40hrs straight. I wanted to do another few 8 hr slots but they wouldn't let me so I went off and got drunk instead. For the next couple of weeks I was working very long shifts like that follwed by a few days off.

In terms of schedule it was the best job I've ever had. How do other nocturnals feel about funny hours like that?

My body clocks gone to crap because my shift is moved around all the time. Depending how much thats either a good thing (can sleep anytime, anywhere) or a bad thing (body gets confused and doesn't want to sleep at all in case the clowns come to get me.)

cHaTbOx

Well I am hoping to be a scientist.When I get work I will not stop until it is done.Then it is off my mind .I enjoy being up and about.I like my sleep but would rather being doing something.

Doctor DooM

random chatbox wrote: »

Well I am hoping to be a scientist.When I get work I will not stop until it is done.Then it is off my mind .I enjoy being up and about.I like my sleep but would rather being doing something.

Most people don't have a choice, the body clock keeps them asleepeis at the appropriate time for them. Just us damaged individuals dont seem to have one!

cHaTbOx

SDooM wrote: »

Most people don't have a choice, the body clock keeps them asleepeis at the appropriate time for them. Just us damaged individuals dont seem to have one!

I can't believe some people have to get at least 8 hours ,

Doctor DooM

random chatbox wrote: »

I can't believe some people have to get at least 8 hours ,

I tend to need 8 hours. It sinks to about 6 when I am on late shift though, interestingly enough.

cHaTbOx

SDooM wrote: »

I tend to need 8 hours. It sinks to about 6 when I am on late shift though, interestingly enough.

4 hours seem to do me well , but I mean they cannot get by without it

Doctor DooM

random chatbox wrote: »

4 hours seem to do me well , but I mean they cannot get by without it

If I sink beneath 5 I absolutely cannot get by on a work day. When I was 18 I could work with only 3 hours sleep after a night out on the beer!

Aisling(",)

i had 2 and a bit last night and im functioning perfectly fine.:)

cHaTbOx

Aisling(",) wrote: »

i had 2 and a bit last night and im functioning perfectly fine.:)

I'm still awake heheh:D

gino85

i doze off at random times and sleep for random amounts aswell, normally while working during the week i refuse to get up if i had less that 8 hours sleep

on the weekend if i wake up then thats it, could be anywhere from 4 to 10 hours sleep

yesterday i slept from 1pm to 10:30pm and im still awake, gonna try to stay awake all day cause i got to go to a christining tomorrow

MizzLolly

I wake up between 5 and six every damn night!:rolleyes:

Last night I woke up every hour!

cHaTbOx

MizzLolly wrote: »

I wake up between 5 and six every damn night!:rolleyes:

Last night I woke up every hour!

That is morning and I hate those nights

Tragedy

I cant keep a normal 17/7 rhythym(Usually 12>7am sleeping)

I always drift later or earlier with getting 4-6 hours of sleep.

Like Lolly, I'm plagued with waking up constantly at night, usually every 30-60mins. Getting 4 hours uninterrupted sleep makes me feel fantastic

Aisling(",)

random chatbox wrote: »

I'm still awake heheh:D

that's just beacuse you're hardcore

Teutorix

Well naturally the human body requires sleep for 8 out of 24 hours and in the division of 8 - 16 - 8 - 16 and so on thats why you cant catch up on sleep because the best way to re energise yourself is by sleeping the way humans evolved to sleep.

Jaunte

maybe not 16-8-16-8: this article theorises about two small sleeps instead of one big one.
http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/display/article/10168/56881

In the course of gathering information for his book...A. Roger Ekirch, professor of history at Virginia Polytechnic Institute in Roanoke, uncovered the fact that in preindustrial times before artificial illumination was widely used, persons typically slept in 2 shifts. They called the shifts "first sleep" and "second sleep." In those times, sleep was more closely associated with sunset and sunrise than it is now. Within an hour or so after sunset, persons retired to bed, slept for about 4 hours and then woke up. They remained awake for a few hours and then returned to sleep at about 2 am for another 4 hours or so. Written records from before the first century onward indicate that the period between first and second sleep afforded persons a chance for quiet contemplation, but persons also rose from bed during this interval and did household chores or visited with family and friends. Although diaries, court documents, and literature of the time indicate that this sleep pattern was widely acknowledged, this bit of history had been lost until the debut of Ekirch's work. The pattern of sleep he describes as the norm in days past is no longer the norm in developed countries where artificial light extends the day. Anthropologists, however, have observed a similar pattern of segmented sleep among some contemporary African tribes...Several lines of evidence suggest that this archaic sleep pattern may, in fact, be the natural sleep pattern for humans-the one most in tune with our inherent circadian rhythms and the natural environment.

Must say I like the idea of a tea-break in the middle of some hard sleeping work

Teutorix

interesting, i thought the idea of one sleep was that REM dosent kick in till a good while after dropping off, so one makes more sense.
who knows? 2 sleeps might become normal in a few years

Jaunte

Siestas ftw! in your face, sunlight

Teutorix

being awake at night like us cant be good for the body, i can feel a vitamin D deficiency comming on allready