BBC - Carry on camping - can a week under canvas reset our body clocks?

[torc]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23530408
I think we could provide plenty of data for further study.
Happy trails...torc.

 

[crosslandkelly]

I totally agree with this article, just by noticing my own rhythms, before, during and after being away camping. Being at the moot for twelve days will certainly reset my circadian clock.

 

[SimonM]

Definitely works on me...go to bed when it's dark, rise when it's light, eat when I'm hungry.

Simon

 

[mousey]

I thought people reset their body clocks on at least a daily basis by taking clues from the natural world. I seem to remember a study done where they locked people up with no access to natural day light to see how they would cope - it turned out folks were pretty good at guess the time, to within 10-20 minutes, for a short period of time. But as days went by the judgement of time got later and later, curiously it never got earlier. So from that they decided that the human body clock runs slower than the 24hour / natural clock and therefore needs to be reset every day.

All I know is getting out doors as much as possible makes me feel better - even if that is just sitting in the garden.

 

[treadlightly]

Interesting. When I'm out I tend to use very little artificial light and I find I want to go to bed much earlier than when at home. In winter I often find myself hitting the hay around 8pm. Sometimes my body is telling me to go to bed and my mind is saying "hang on, it's much too early!"

 

[Marco1981]

I am the same as treadlightly. At home, I rarely see my bed before 11pm, yet when camping I am ready for my bed at 8 and rarely still awake at 11pm. I wake much more refreshed in the morning as well. I also find that a weekend camping makes me feel great for weeks to follow.

 

[Lou]

This is all so true, I really try to live after dark without electric light, when indoors I tend to use torches around the house, so my husband thinks I am a nutter (even though he sent me the very same link this morning) and I use f.lux on my computer when I have to use it after dark, it creates a yellow glow on your screen which is better for your circadian rhythms, you can see the screen getting yellower at sunset. Things get difficult in the winter, so I tend to go to bed early, but I usually then fall into a bimodal sleep pattern which is two sleeps during the night with a waking period in between, if you google the term, it seems it was a common thing to have two sleeps during the night with a time of waking and even socialising during the night in pre industrialised societies.

http://justgetflux.com/

 

[treadlightly]

Just downloaded flux tawnyhare, thanks.

 

[Lou]

You are welcome, as it says on the site, you set it up exactly how you want it, to turn on at sunset for instance, and then forget about it. Apparently it's the blue light that your computer screen emits that plays havoc with your internal rhythms esp. at night.

 

[treadlightly]

I look forward to my screen turning yellow at dusk

 

[Man of Tanith]

This is all so true, I really try to live after dark without electric light, when indoors I tend to use torches around the house, so my husband thinks I am a nutter (even though he sent me the very same link this morning) and I use f.lux on my computer when I have to use it after dark, it creates a yellow glow on your screen which is better for your circadian rhythms, you can see the screen getting yellower at sunset. Things get difficult in the winter, so I tend to go to bed early, but I usually then fall into a bimodal sleep pattern which is two sleeps during the night with a waking period in between, if you google the term, it seems it was a common thing to have two sleeps during the night with a time of waking and even socialising during the night in pre industrialised societies.

http://justgetflux.com/

About the two sleeps I think in part it tallies with how long a fire takes to burn down to a level where it needs refueling.
Whenever I camp in winter I notice I wake when fire has died down. This results in me rebuilding fire, havin a stretch and comfort trip t thd pee tree occasionally a brew as I've stoked the fire and then bed down once more.

I've no proof or evidence to back up my idea but it rings true with me.

 

[torc]

A different take on the OP,
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/...-body-clock-to-half-past-insane-2013080277692
Happy trails...torc.