> So, to do it really Paleo is to GO to sleep when it
> gets dark, no matter when that is.

The only time I've been able to do this was during
extended backpacking trips completely removed from the
influences of civilization. It seemed, at the time,
the natural thing to do. Of course, "modern"
backpacking makes far less use of campfires - they are
generally frowned upon - so it's easier when that
influence is also removed.

> And no, I don't do this yet, either, although I'm on

> no one else's schedule. My dog comes lots closer,
> probably because no one sends him email:)

Dogs can be just as bad. During the week our dogs
sleep a lot during the day, and are moderately active
in the wee hours while we are asleep. On the weekends,
however, this all changes. Since we are at home on the
weekends, they like to "stay up" with us during the
day, and then sleep like zombies during the night.
Seems they have picked up a lot of bad habits from
their close association with humans :)

> The problem I have with this theory is that during
> our, er, "formative years", evolutionarily speaking,

> we lived in areas where there really wasn't more
> than a few minutes difference between winter and
> summer day/night length...

Seems like Northern Europe and Southern Africa would
have seasonal variations similar to ours in the U.S.

>  so according to this, truly "paleo sleeping" would
> mean far more sleep on a regular basis, season be
> damned...

More sleep in general, yes. Even in the summer you'd
have a good 8-9 hours. In winter, of course, it would
be longer.

> Then there's the generalized concept that it's prey
> that generally shuts
> down after dark--most predators seem to have more
> nocternal potential...

I've been wondering about something else. It's
starting to get pretty hot whrer I live - hot enough
so that I wouldn't want to do much physical activity
during the middle of the day. So, would it be
reasonable to assume the Mexican 'siesta' would be the
norm in tropical climates and during the summer months
in more temperate climes? I think so. And, with the
lengthening of the days during summer, it would afford
some evening time to take care of activities avoided
during the hot part of the day. So, perhaps it's not
so much that we can make do with less sleep during the
longer days, but perhaps that the "awake time" is
redistributed during the summer?

-- Switch topics --

> Have you thought about what this means:
> All big animals of whole america (you call them
> game) went extinct in mere 1200 years, after arrival

> of humans.

Amadeus, do you mean the big game animals were *made*
extinct by humans in America? Do you have sources for
this?

My reading contends that many of the American big game
species became extinct around here because of climate
changes. For instance, I live in southern Idaho. When
the first HG's arrived here the climate was much, much
different (circa 10,000 to 15,000 years ago)- it was
far wetter and the winters were far less harsh. They
were known to hunt many species that would not have a
chance of surviving here today.

> That's pretty little.
> That means only 1200 years to eat mammoth.

Not if the early immigrants to this continent from
Eurasia were already adapted to eating big game.


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