Are humans a nocturnal species?

paky

I've noticed that I sleep in till 1 or 2 in the afternoon on my days off and if I had no work to go to I probably do this everyday.
This seems to be a natural sleep patern for me and getting up at 8 in the morning definitly isnt.
I've also notice that people in the mediterranean eat dinner late at night maybe 11 or so and also chinese restaurants in this country only seem to open after 5 o clock in the evening.

Are some humans nocturnal and some not? Whats the storey?

JuliusCaesar

No, we are diurnal. We can't see in the dark. We evolved way before artificial light! In fact one of the theories about sleep is that it stops us bumbling around in the dark, bringing ourselves to the attention of dangerous animals!

tigerblob

I don't know, I think it's strange. Other diurnal creatures wake up at the crack of dawn, no other diurnal creatures seem to prefer sleeping until midday.

mickoneill30

tigerblob wrote: »

I don't know, I think it's strange. Other diurnal creatures wake up at the crack of dawn, no other diurnal creatures seem to prefer sleeping until midday.

It's not like all humans prefer sleeping until midday. I'm awake at 7AM each morning, even weekends :mad:

The other diurnal creatures don't have the benefit of electricty or torches and so if they can't see in the dark why stay awake?

rccaulfield

JuliusCaesar wrote: »

No, we are diurnal. We can't see in the dark. We evolved way before artificial light! In fact one of the theories about sleep is that it stops us bumbling around in the dark, bringing ourselves to the attention of dangerous animals!

Not sure about that theory- all mammals sleep for regenerative purposes, some more then others-lions sleep 13/14 hours per day. OP-Its an interesting thought because in the times of the savannah perhaps sleeping during the warm days would be easier and being on the move when the temperature drops wud be beneficial?

Jim

tigerblob wrote: »

I don't know, I think it's strange. Other diurnal creatures wake up at the crack of dawn, no other diurnal creatures seem to prefer sleeping until midday.

I imagine that's mostly due to our diet and lifestyle. Eat healthier and you'll more than likely wake up much earlier feeling much more refreshed from your sleep.

Captainship

rccaulfield wrote: »

Not sure about that theory- all mammals sleep for regenerative purposes, some more then others-lions sleep 13/14 hours per day. OP-Its an interesting thought because in the times of the savannah perhaps sleeping during the warm days would be easier and being on the move when the temperature drops wud be beneficial?

feck i do the same with a hangover

steddyeddy

No we are not, interestingly a tribe of chimps in rwanda as an aparant response to the civil war there and increased hunting have become noturnal in their actions. Sleeping during the day and hunting and moving at night.

Cuddly toy

I sleep at night.:D

mikhail

paky wrote: »

I've noticed that I sleep in till 1 or 2 in the afternoon on my days off and if I had no work to go to I probably do this everyday.

Go to bed earlier.

As a student, I used sleep something like 2am-10am. Now, I sleep 11pm-7am, and don't deviate significantly on the weekends. When you sleep is just a lifestyle choice, but as people have said above we're mostly a diurnal species.

recedite

In a tribal group, there is a significant advantage to having some people who are "night owls" while others are "morning people".

Some things you don't want to miss while everyone is asleep;
A herd of prey animals passing by in the morning.
Enemy tribe night attack. Predator night attack.
A prey animal passing by at night.
The fire going out.:mad:

So you would expect natural selection to encourage this variability in the population.

Northumbria

Why would humans be nocturnal if we've evolved to absorb vitamin D from the sun. ?

the_syco

paky wrote: »

Are some humans nocturnal and some not? Whats the storey?

If humans don't get regular "sun time" they'll become depressed.

Northumbria

the_syco wrote: »

If humans don't get regular "sun time" they'll become depressed.

Yeah, Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D :rolleyes: ). It's been linked to a lack of vitamin D (it's hard to make it naturally in the winter) and some even say it could be a remnant of some hibernation instinct.

recedite

I've often seen hobos sleeping in the sun.

slowburner

JuliusCaesar wrote: »

No, we are diurnal. We can't see in the dark. We evolved way before artificial light! In fact one of the theories about sleep is that it stops us bumbling around in the dark, bringing ourselves to the attention of dangerous animals!

We probably can't see as well as the animals we need to avoid in the dark, but it's probably not true either, to say that we can't see in the dark.
Undoubtedly, our night vision has been dulled by millenia of artificial light.
It's still there though, in black and white vision. That's why we have rod cells in our retinae - for night vision. They are more sensitive and more numerous than the cone cells which perceive colour.
Many people have an irrational fear of the dark, especially when outside. Much of this, I suspect, comes from that awful sense you get when you go from a well lit space into natural darkness.
The low light receptors need time to get switched on - if the eyes haven't been given enough time to adjust, the sense of darkness can be overwhelming.
Give the rods time to get switched on, and we are surprisingly capable in natural levels of darkness.
Most folks just couldn't be bothered or are too afraid to go walking at night without artificial light.
I had to do it for many years (professionally) and had to walk in some pretty hairy places.
When you get used to it, you realise that it is a perfectly natural thing to do.

It is only a theory that we became diurnal to avoid creepy creatures at night.
Are there not just as many, if not more dangerous animals abroad in the daylight hours?

Just recently, I was in the gallery of a disused mine with some proper exploring types. We were probably about 1/2 a mile in to the twisting and turning shafts.
As you can imagine, there is absolutely no light that far in.
It was suggested that we should turn off our headlamps to 'see' what it was like. This was complete and total darkness; something I had never experienced.
All I felt was a peculiar sense of resignation - that's the only word that comes close, but it was not all negative.



Is this beginning to sound a bit odd? 'Natural thing to do', 'walking "hairy" places at night (professionally)'

recedite

slowburner wrote: »

Is this beginning to sound a bit odd? 'Natural thing to do', 'walking "hairy" places at night (professionally)'

Yes, I think you'll need to explain that one :pac:
I'll just add; a lot depends on the moon too, some nights are very bright.

Misty May

recedite wrote: »

In a tribal group, there is a significant advantage to having some people who are "night owls" while others are "morning people".

Some things you don't want to miss while everyone is asleep;
A herd of prey animals passing by in the morning.
Enemy tribe night attack. Predator night attack.
A prey animal passing by at night.
The fire going out.:mad:

So you would expect natural selection to encourage this variability in the population.

In a family situation with school going children there are no advantages to having night owls in the home. Night owls should follow their true calling & find these tribes though I doubt if they have computers available to them.

Morning people & night owls are just habits. Good or bad but you are not born a night owl or a morning person. Social factors come into play.

slowburner

recedite wrote: »

Yes, I think you'll need to explain that one :pac:
I'll just add; a lot depends on the moon too, some nights are very bright.

I could tell you, but then I'd have to..............

There used to be a puzzler -
'Which is brighter?
A piece of coal at midday on a sunny day, or a piece of snow at midnight on a moonlit night.'








I can remember neither the point of the question, or the answer.

recedite

Misty May wrote: »

there are no advantages to having night owls in the home.

What if you get burgled? Who's going to wield the shotgun?

Misty May

recedite wrote: »

What if you get burgled? Who's going to wield the shotgun?

Dogs are good to warn you & you can leave out the shotgun. Night owls are not sitting waiting for burglars with their shotguns....:D