Topic: I AM A GENIUS

[W7RE]

http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200911/intelligence-the-evolution-night-owls

I go to bed at like 7-8am and get up at 4-5pm. Shit, you want to talk about sleeping habits that high IQ people break? I don't even sleep at the same time every day. Sometimes I sleep from 2am till 10am, other days I sleep from noon to 8pm. SOMETIMES I sleep for 2-3 hours, get up for 3-4, then go back to bed for another 6-7 hours. Sometimes I sleep 6 hours in a 24 hour period, sometimes I sleep 11 hours in a row!

[Xessive]

Hehe I read another article that said the same thing a couple of months ago. I felt so awesome, humbly.

EDIT:
I think it has to do with generally intelligent people wanting to stay up longer to satisfy curiosity or intellectual indulgence, yet inevitably needing to wake up at a certain time. As indicated in the weekend schedule, the high IQ people wake up significantly later.

[W7RE]

Well it also talks about the higher IQ people not adhering to the nighttime sleeping schedule that was pretty much required before electricity, because they don't simply accept it like the lower IQ people. Seriously, why do we absolutely need to be awake during the day and asleep at night? Unless it's for a job or to be with people that are also on a daytime schedule, does it really matter that much? (At least that's what I got from the page I linked to.)

[Xessive]

Well, there are some biological and chemical factors that dictate (or at least suggest) the ideal sleeping pattern. Growth hormones are only secreted at night. So a "proper" sleeping schedule is especially important for children. Serotonin is a hormone that has also been suggested to only be secreted from the when you are asleep during the night, it's a neurotransmitter and is a major contributor to mood elevations and generally good feelings.

I'm a rebel, so someone dictating my sleeping schedule only encourages me to stay awake. Inversely, when I'm trying to stay awake I only become more susceptible to passing out.

[W7RE]

But how exactly can your body tell it's nighttime? If you get these things only while sleeping at night, does that only mean you need to sleep in the dark? What happens if you travel halfway across the world, and then sleep in a blacked out room? You're still sleeping at the same time that you usually do, and it's still dark, but it's technically daytime where you are. Is there something that the sun puts into the air during the daytime that finds it's way into your house despite having the windows covered?

I don't really know what I'm talking about btw, I'm just throwing ideas around. There could be studies out there that disprove everything I'm saying, but I wouldn't know it.

[Cobra951]

But how exactly can your body tell it's nighttime? . . .

The pineal gland, or "third eye".

[Xessive]

Yep, exactly. That is also the gland responsible for secreting serotonin (although serotonin can also be secreted from blood platelets and the digestive tract).

[Pugnate]

I don't think I am smart enough for this thread.

[Cobra951]

 Hahaha! 

[Quemaqua]

I must be smart.  My favorite band has a song called Pineal Gland Optics.  Also, I sleep about 5 hours a night, usually from 1-6 AM.  Lately it's been around an extra half hour or so.  Been doing that for as long as I can remember.  I rarely sleep more than 5 hours at a stretch.  Even on weekends my natural clock tends to wake me up.

[Xessive]

I don't think I am smart enough for this thread.

I know you are, you insomniac bastard!! But in the age of the internet you rarely need to be! Wikipedia, MedicineNet, etc.

The more I study and read on the human body the more amazed I am. It's a phenomenal machine with plausible limitations and incredible capabilities.

[W7RE]

The pineal gland, or "third eye".

So, the retina transmits information to the pineal gland about light, which then creates melatonin when it's dark, which in turn makes you tired. So the sun goes down and it gets dark, and your body starts telling you you're tired after a while. What I'm wondering though, is can you simulate these conditions with artificial light/dark?

Also, I've noticed that the day actually feels much longer if I wake up early. It's probably because most of the people I know stay up late and sleep in late, so there's no one around to interact with in the mornings, which is nice. I can play through a game with no interruptions, whereas in the evenings I get people asking me to play stuff online or go out or who knows what.

[Cobra951]

What I'm wondering though, is can you simulate these conditions with artificial light/dark?

With the right kind of light, yes.  Dark is dark regardless.

[gpw11]

I'm going to be perfectly blunt here:  A few years of sleep deprivation has had major effects on me.  Avoid it.

[Pugnate]

Indeedio.

[ren]

I'm going to be perfectly blunt here:  A few years of sleep deprivation has had major effects on me.  Avoid it.

Like what?

[Pugnate]

Studies show that those who deprive themselves of sleep for long periods, require regular liquid nitrogen shots on their privates later in life.

[Quemaqua]