[deltaqueue]

It seems as though this comments section is filled with self-proclaimed "night owls." I'm curious, have any of you read the linked articles about variables that influence people to remain awake later than they should and have these types of erratic sleep patterns / modified circadian rhythms (heavy computer use / blue light exposure)? And, have any of you tested your own reaction to curtailing these late-night activities while introducing natural sunlight stimulant in the morning?

I'm not asking in a derogatory way; I'm genuinely curious since I experimented with this myself and found positive results. My guess is that most haven't, and that it's easier just to accept a "night owl" classification in lieu of hundreds of thousands of years of human dependence on the sun and fire for light. Based on my limited research it seems that those without significant mental illness sleep well with habit and controlled stimuli (including natural light). Has anyone, through any amount of reasonable testing, found this NOT to be true?

[btilly]

I have always been a night owl. With or without computers. Even when I spend time camping out doors. I like to stay up, I don't like waking up.

Once as an experiment I began waking up an hour later every day. I went around the clock, felt great, couldn't stop my body from doing it again, had to work hard to avoid it happening a third time.

If days had 25 hours, I'd be all set.

[jacalata]

Not exhaustive testing, but as a child (before ever having a computer, and with very very limited television access) I would stay awake for hours in the dark, and be dragged out of bed in the morning well after the sun had come into my room.

[shubb]

The past month I've been up at 6am, rather than ~9am. As an experiment rather than for any good reason.

What you say about light and stimulation sounds convincing, but for me it was about habit. I was in the habit of ignoring my alarm. I was in the habit of getting up when I needed to, and no earlier.

To start off with, I used an alarm app that wouldn't deactivate until my phone touched my credit card, left in the shower. 'Sleep as a Droid', Strong recommend.