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I suggest (with no proof or expertise) that the optimum sleeping schedule is to sleep when you are tired and wake when you are no longer tired. This is very di

I suggest (with no proof or expertise) that the optimum sleeping schedule is to sleep when you are tired and wake when you are no longer tired. This is very difficult to achieve given life's typical demands. I've recently applied this same philosophy to eating. I eat when I'm hungry and I stop eating when I am no longer hungry (not when I'm "full").

WalterSear 14y ago
Except we have evidence that you can sleep too much.
- firefoxman1 14y ago
  With adequate access to natural light, it's pretty hard to oversleep if you follow your body's natural schedule. As soon as light hits your (still closed) eyes, your brain scales back melotonin production and raises your body's temperature, which is what wakes you up. The opposite happens when the sun goes down and you aren't around artificial light.
  - vidarh 14y ago
    Given how vastly different lengths the night have depending on how far North/South you go, that might be so but it's a solution that won't for for a whole lot of people without artificially simulating a shorter night.
- ijk 14y ago
  Now I'm curious. Do you have a link or citation for that?
  - WalterSear 14y ago
    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120326113805.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120326113805.ht... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/17/sleep-alzheimers-brain-memory_n_1677754.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/17/sleep-alzheimers-br... http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-04/ul-tmo042109.php http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-04/ul-tmo042109.... http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2279744/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2279744/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2864873/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2864873/
- eiliant 14y ago
  Which evidence?
  - WalterSear 14y ago
    https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5544007 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5544007
pjscott 14y ago
Artificial lighting changes the time when you become tired.
- vidarh 14y ago
  One of the reasons why I'll turn down the inside light in the evening.
  - grannyg00se 14y ago
    And don't forget f.lux :) http://stereopsis.com/flux/ http://stereopsis.com/flux/

WalterSear 14y ago

Except we have evidence that you can sleep too much.

firefoxman1 14y ago
With adequate access to natural light, it's pretty hard to oversleep if you follow your body's natural schedule. As soon as light hits your (still closed) eyes, your brain scales back melotonin production and raises your body's temperature, which is what wakes you up. The opposite happens when the sun goes down and you aren't around artificial light.
- vidarh 14y ago
  Given how vastly different lengths the night have depending on how far North/South you go, that might be so but it's a solution that won't for for a whole lot of people without artificially simulating a shorter night.
ijk 14y ago
Now I'm curious. Do you have a link or citation for that?
- WalterSear 14y ago
  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120326113805.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120326113805.ht... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/17/sleep-alzheimers-brain-memory_n_1677754.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/17/sleep-alzheimers-br... http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-04/ul-tmo042109.php http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-04/ul-tmo042109.... http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2279744/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2279744/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2864873/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2864873/
eiliant 14y ago
Which evidence?
- WalterSear 14y ago
  https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5544007 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5544007

pjscott 14y ago

Artificial lighting changes the time when you become tired.

vidarh 14y ago
One of the reasons why I'll turn down the inside light in the evening.
- grannyg00se 14y ago
  And don't forget f.lux :) http://stereopsis.com/flux/ http://stereopsis.com/flux/