We possess a genetic affinity for the natural light and dark cycle of the Earth day, that is to say that we are entrained to get up when it is light and go to our beds when it is dark.
Such is the pace of our lives today and the stresses and pressures that go with it that we tend to look unfavourably on those who go to bed early. We think that they are sickening for something, dodgy, introverted or just hiding away from life.
Ours is a world of almost perpetual artificial lighting.
This actually has a scientific term, "constant summer photoperiod" and extends across all of the seasons. We are in a constant battle between the deep rooted desire to follow the natural cycles of our Circadian clock and the feeling that we have to extend our activities for as long as possible thanks to the availability of light bulbs.
There are just too many factors in play that disrupt our body clocks.
As well as artificial lighting there are disruptions to our routines, stimulants such as caffeine, the screens of personal data devices and DVD box sets. Staying up late under the influence of such things does have implications for performance in our work, at school, whilst driving and operating machinery. There are added health issues such as susceptibility to diabetes, obesity and substance abuse. In my case I just get very moody and irritable which is no fun for my family or indeed me.
All is not however completely lost.
Scientists over a number of studies have shown that our body clock can re-align to natural cycles quite easily. In a natural summer when the ratio of daylight to darkness is as much as 14 hours forty minutes to 9 hours 20 minutes respectively our circadian clock attunes perfectly to solar time. It is just that many things obstruct this process. A particular experiment illustrated that this re-adjustment can be best achieved by partaking in the activity of camping outdoors.
Various randomly selected adults were laboratory tested for their Melatonin Rhythm which is the most precise marker of our internal biological time before being set loose in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, USA to live under canvas.
One group went for a full week in the depths of a snowy December and the other over a July weekend in the same location.
Artificial light and electronic devices were prohibited with only the sun, moon and camp fires permitted as light sources.
In the great outdoors those in the winter study were exposed to thirteen times the illuminance levels of electric light. There was a higher exposure to red, green and blue light on the spectrum. Although the wake-up times were similar to normal every day routines it was found that sleep time commenced some two and a half hours earlier. Of course being in the wilderness in a harsh, cold climate does introduce a number of specific issues. The study group were confined for long periods to their warm, cosy tents and sleeping bags and a higher level of physical activity was recorded as there was nothing much else to do than do a bit of local hiking.
In effect, the conditions and lifestyle were quite close to those that we would expect our ancestors to have experienced in a pre-industrialised, consumerist, urbanised and digitised society.
The summer camp, likely to have been far more pleasant in terms of a Colorado climate confirmed the winter findings.
So, we all now know what we have to do to re-set our natural body clocks.
As for tent camping, I have done that, got the midge bites, suffered sun stroke, cowered in fear of being blown away in a gale, endured cold tinned food when the gas has run out, had to dig a trench around the tent under flood conditions, chipped away at carcinogenic al-fresco barbecue offerings and spent hours in damp clothes and soggy footwear.
Having said that, I do recall having had some of the best nights rest ever.
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| Typical activity for fully rested tent campers |
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