

Learning to Live Like an Early Bird - arjunlall
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120457323625608259.html

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aneesh
Oh the irony, it's pretty late at night (depending on which time zone
arjunlall is in). But I'd presume most people on News.YC have a late-night
schedule. Why should we "learn to live like an early bird" anyway?

~~~
technoguyrob
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melatonin>

Reduced melatonin production has been proposed as a likely factor in the
significantly higher cancer rates in night workers,[26] and the effect of
modern lighting practice on endogenous melatonin has been proposed as a
contributory factor to the larger overall incidence of some cancers in the
developed world.[27] As inadequate as blood concentrations may be in brightly
lit environments, some scientists now believe that a person's overnight output
of melatonin can be further jeopardized each time he or she interrupts his or
her sleep and turns on a bright light (suggesting that using a less-bright
nightlight would be safer). Others suggest that such short exposures do no
harm.[28]

And yes, this comment was posted at 1:46AM.

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a-priori
I also would expect effects similar to Seasonal Affective Disorder would occur
in some people, because of the lack of natural sunlight.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seasonal_affective_disorder>

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suboptimal
I couldn't find the words "fitness" or "exercise" anywhere in the article. In
my opinion any discussion of sleep habits should include exercise (if I was a
doctor that's the first thing I'd ask my patients about). The writer does
mention coffee and caffeine, which is another good indicator of potential
sleep issues.

I used to work vampire hours years ago while an independent. It was fun in
some ways, but waking up at lunchtime made me feel like I missed most of the
day. Now I'm up before the sunrise and accomplish more (it's also somewhat
necessary in my commuting environment).

Find what works for you, but mind your health (says grandma)!

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redorb
you should work, when you feel your at your most productive. Day or night
shouldn't matter, employers need to understand this when dealing with some
jobs (most held by people here at news.yc)

