On Sun, 5 Oct 2008 18:0 steve wrote:

>I realize that this is not a paleo food subject, but is there 
>any good information on paleo sleeping patterns/habits?
>
>Steve

There are two aspects to this:

1. the effects of light/dark

2. the effects of sleep.

Light triggers hormonal responses and is also critical for
the production of vitamin D (i) Women wearing a full burkha -
a maladaptation of post-palaeolithic civilization - are
very susceptible to rickets and osteoporosis (ii) people
suffering full glaucoma cannot react to light and live
in a state of perpetual jet lag.

Artificial lighting also has health effects and these
are most obvious in stress - even suicide and violence -
in shift workers.

I find sleep is easy to manage. Since retiring five years 
ago I have never used (or needed) an alarm to get up on
time. For me that's between 5:00 and 6:00 am. I go to 
sleep within 15 minutes of feeling sleepy, without fail.
This is between 9:30 and 11:00 pm, depending on how
active I have been during the day. I sleep soundly but
always get up readily and keenly within a minute or
two of waking. I figure this is a pretty palaeolithic
outcome.

Keith