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from the 24h37m22s-should-be-close-enough-for-anyone dept.
A team of scientists from Holland, Germany and the UK's University of Manchester studied animals in which variation in a single gene dramatically speeds up the natural circadian cycle from 24 to 20 hours (DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1516442113).
It is the first study to demonstrate of the value of having an internal body clock which beats in tune with the speed of the earth's rotation.
The researchers released animals with 24 hour or 20 hour clocks into outdoor pens, with free access to food, and studied how the proportion of animals with fast clocks changed in the population over a period of 14 months.
This allowed the team to study the impact of clock-speed in context of the "real-world" rather than indoors.
Mice with fast-running clock gradually become less common with successive generations, so that by the end of the study, the population was dominated by animals with "normal" 24h clocks.
The research has potentially important implications for human health: clock-disruption associated with abnormal work and lighting conditions, such as night shift work leads to health problems, such as increased risk of Type 2 diabetes.
Wouldn't Mars-born humans gradually select for circadian rhythms that match Mars's rotation?
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Kell on Wednesday January 27 2016, @12:53AM
I am inclined to agree - I think it's a societal adaptation that allows part of the tribe to be asleep while someone is always awake and on the lookout for tigers. A 'rolling' circadian rhythm means you randomise your sentries' down period and cannot predict when is optimal to strike. This also allows the rest of the tribe to benefit from whatever system-wide advantages are to be gained from having the vast majority of people running on a regular integrated rhythm.
Scientists ask questions. Engineers solve problems.
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 27 2016, @01:02AM
Bah, you call it system-wide advantages; I call it rush hour.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 27 2016, @01:25AM
A 'rolling' circadian rhythm means you have N24 and are shunned from society. There are extremely few jobs where you can come in later every day and not be instantly labeled as extremely lazy and then fired, even with a doctors note and with it being against disability laws. No one likes waking up in the morning, so if you don't/can't you're simply lazy. People pride themselves on how much they can drug themselves with caffeine and sugar instead of sleeping. Want to go out walking at night when you're wide awake? Expect to be harassed by police as only trouble makers are out 'excising' at 3am. It's not even legal to be about at that time of night when you're younger. How would you like it if it were illegal to go outside during your 'day'? No social activities, no parks, no stores, etc... At least now there's the internet 24x7 and it's faster at night.
I had a sleep doctor tell me I can get up in the morning because she has three kids and she can do it. So since I don't have any kids its easier for me.
So despite 17 years of sleep problems, 3 firings, and 2 suicide attempts, I'm a friend-less lazy bum making 80K and nearing my 4th job loss. Forcing yourself to go to sleep when you're most alert and productive, then trying to do all your work when you're half asleep and least productive is extremely difficult, not lazy.
(Score: 2) by Marand on Wednesday January 27 2016, @01:59AM
I can sympathise, I have the same sort of problem with my sleep cycle and get the same "oh you're just lazy" type shit for it.
I've always compensated for it by doing things I probably shouldn't, like staying up 20-30 hours as needed to correct my schedule again after it gets too far away from an "acceptable" rhythm. Or, at one point I was only sleeping 3-4 hours a night for months because I had to work mornings but couldn't fall asleep early enough, no matter how exhausted I was, because I'd always get a second wind around 11pm or midnight. The only thing that's ever helped me is exercising myself into exhaustion, but that only does so much, so I still tend to wake up during my "high" times. It's also not as convenient to do where I live now, because I used to live within a few blocks of a gym that stayed open fairly late, so I'm dealing with the same shit again.
As for being out late and treated like shit for it, it sucks but it also depends on where you live. For example, nobody gives it a second thought if you're still out that late in Manhattan, at least if you know where to go; businesses around Times Square (especially restaurants) don't even close until around 3am. Then you go to some podunk town in western NY and get harassed by cops fishing for something to bust you over because you made the mistake of being out at 9pm.
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 28 2016, @02:52AM
> Then you go to some podunk town in western NY and get harassed by cops fishing for something to bust you over because you made the mistake of being out at 9pm.
Do you kill them?
>In the United States, as late as the 1880s most States set the minimum age at 10-12, (in Delaware it was 7 in 1895).[8] Inspired by the "Maiden Tribute" female reformers in the US initiated their own campaign[9] which petitioned legislators to raise the legal minimum age to at least 16, with the ultimate goal to raise the age to 18. The campaign was successful, with almost all states raising the minimum age to 16-18 years by 1920.
Also: see: Deuteronomy chapter 22 verses 28-29, hebrew allows men to rape girl children and keep them: thus man + girl is obviously fine. Feminists are commanded to be killed as anyone enticing others to follow another ruler/judge/god is to be killed as-per Deuteronomy. It is wonderful when this happens from time to time: celebrate)
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 27 2016, @02:48AM
When I had to follow a conventional work schedule, I found that taking a nap during my lunch-time was helpful. So, I think, was avoiding bright, blue light at night. If you're earning $80 k/year you're beating the US average [wikipedia.org]. Is there work you can do that would allow you a flexible schedule? Even if your income took a hit, it might be worth it for your sanity's sake.
(Score: 2) by Whoever on Wednesday January 27 2016, @05:23AM
Er, no. That's not how it works. We all have a circadian rhythm that is not 24 hours.
Exposure to sunlight keeps us in sync. That's why some blind people have such a problem with this -- it's like being jetlagged for half their lives.
There was a study that showed that shining a bright light in the ear during daylight hours could substitute for light in the eyes, keeping the subject in sync with daytime. This is also why sitting in front of an LCD monitor late at night is not a good idea if you want to sleep well.
(Score: 4, Informative) by Kell on Wednesday January 27 2016, @05:42AM
We have a circadian rhythm that is 24 hours and 11 minutes [wikipedia.org] long. The previous study that said it was 25 hours long was faulty, exactly because of the effect of lighting that you mention. Other studies have supported that there is natural sleep phase variation in humans - the wiki article on delayed sleep phase disorder [wikipedia.org] is enlightening. If people with a vision impairment have natural sleep phases and light sensitivity, then I have no doubt that they would experience the effect you describe. Might the sleep phase differences between people simply be a result of one's sensitivity to ambient light? If I am not very sensitive, a little darkness will not make me sleep and a little light will not make me wakeful - I need deep darkness (late night) and strong light (late morning) to sleep and rise. I can personally attest that even with no exposure to natural lighting, I am alert and attentive until the early morning, likewise it takes a very great deal of natural light to wake me up (typically near-midday levels of light).
Scientists ask questions. Engineers solve problems.
(Score: 2) by Whoever on Wednesday January 27 2016, @07:22AM
There are different levels of "blind", but some blind people have no eyes and they do drift off the normal day rhythm. I know one such person.
My personal anecdote is a trip to India, which is almost opposite in phase to where I live. On the day of my arrival (a Sunday), I spent several hours by the outdoor pool at the hotel. I got over my jetlag quicker on that trip than any other I can remember.
The article on DSPD is interesting. I find that I naturally sleep best if I go to bed quite late (11:30 to midnight). Attempts to shift my sleep time result in waking during the night.
(Score: 2) by Kell on Wednesday January 27 2016, @07:48AM
Yes, I've worked with people with vision impairment extensively. Some have no eyes, limited vision and varying degrees of light sensitivity. I'm not at all surprised that people with no light sensitivity get out of sync with the day time, although I haven't seen much of that myself. Interestingly, rather than "blind", the preferred terminology in our professional environment is "person with vision impairment"- it places the focus on the person, rather than the condition. This was an interesting education for me the first time I started working with them. I've met some astonishingly capable people like Gerard Gosens and Daniel Kish. They are simply amazing in what they can do.
Scientists ask questions. Engineers solve problems.
(Score: 2) by Whoever on Wednesday January 27 2016, @08:07AM
The person that I know who is blind refers to herself as "blind". Also, we volunteer for "Guide dogs for the Blind" [guidedogs.com]. No one that we have come across through that organization has any issue with the use of the word "blind", although many people with guide dogs have a small amount of vision.
It is truly amazing what some of them can do. For example Trevor Thomas, [blindhikertrevorthomas.com] who seems to have no problem with the use of the word "blind".
(Score: 2) by Kell on Wednesday January 27 2016, @08:17AM
Sure. I'm not saying it's common or expected to use that terminology, at all. I just said it was interesting that that's our usage in our professional work, as stipulated by Vision Australia (with whom we collaborate).
Scientists ask questions. Engineers solve problems.
(Score: 2) by Pino P on Wednesday January 27 2016, @07:46PM
I guess it must differ by country. Groups of people with disabilities in some countries actually disprefer person-first language [rationalwiki.org] when it becomes awkward.