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I don't think humans evolved with alarm clocks. In an ideal world, would you not let yourself sleep as long as your brain deems appropriate? I think sunset and
by joonix 14y ago
I don't think humans evolved with alarm clocks. In an ideal world, would you not let yourself sleep as long as your brain deems appropriate? I think sunset and sunrise times would end up meaning a lot more.
The post also doesn't seem to account for sleep debt. If you undersleep one night, you may have to sleep longer than normal the next night to make up for it.
- jordo37 14y agoI'm fairly sure that's not how sleep debt works and part of the reason its a faulty name. The idea of sleep debt more refers to the long-term effects of a lack of sleep on your overall health. So if you skimp on hours of sleep during the week but then make them up during the weekend you might feel okay on Sunday, but you have actually physically harmed yourself in some minute way - you have created a sleep debt that you essentially cannot repay.
- learc83 14y agoFrom other articles I've read, there is some evidence to suggest that without artificial light, humans tend to break sleep into two periods--waking up in the middle of the night for a few hours. Also drinking water before you go to sleep works as a natural alarm clock.
- rayiner 14y agoI wonder how much of that is because of babies back in a time before widespread birth control. I break sleep up into two periods too, but it's not because of the lighting situation.
- lopatin 14y agoIf evolution is all about natural selection, and those that have a job and use an alarm clock are the ones that don't starve, then it could that mean we actually would evolve for alarm clocks. It could also mean that I know nothing about evolution and biology.