io9
Human sleep patterns were once controlled by circadian rhythms governed by day and night. But now, according to a new study, almost everyone in the United States has a sleep pattern that's controlled by when they watch TV. A massive survey on time management conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics shows that most people watch TV between 11 - 11:15, dropping off to sleep when they switch the tube off. The hour when nighttime falls affects this pattern very little. Human sleep patterns are therefore more malleable than believed, and it's possible people could change them as easily as changing channels.
According to the authors of the study, which comes out this week in the Journal of Labor Economics:
While natural daylight patterns have some effect on people's life patterns, the demands of global business—market openings, etc—and regular television schedule demarcate the boundaries of most Americans' lives . . . Individuals in early television zones (Central and Mountain) are 6.4 percentage points less likely to be watching television between 11 and 11:15 p.m. than those in later zones, but if the sunset is pushed back by an hour the probability of watching TV at 11pm only increases by about one percentage point. The implications for people who want to change their sleep patterns — to get up earlier, say, or go to bed at a regular time — are enormous. If you are somebody who watches TV, you can simply turn the TV off earlier and give your body a cue that it's time to sleep.Another possibility is to change your working hours. The researchers say that along with TV, people's big sleep cue is time zone, especially as it relates to when you get to work or go home:
If you are in the "professional service" sector (finance, information, business services), you are more likely to follow the time zone cue, while you are in other services sector (education, health, leisure, and hospitality), you are probably more responsive to television cues.Changing when you go to work within your time zone might be another way to trick your body into sleeping at a different time.
I love it when science actually backs up common sense. Though the idea that our circadian rhythms have been replaced by late-night TV rhythms is sort of creepy.
Early to Bed and Early to Rise . . . Depends on the TV Schedule in Your Time Zone [Eurekalert]
Comments
my sleep pattern is governed by my work schedule.
Sure i'll watch things i've downloaded on my laptop, but when that gets turned off has soley to do with when i have to get up the next morning, and on weekends, its governed by when i'm tired.
I watch T.V. shows... i just never watch it the old fashioned way.
It's a funny thing, but near as I can tell, my sleep pattern is determined solely by Mythbusters.
I started having trouble sleeping, so I'd turn on the TV and cue up something I'd already seen on Tivo, and, since Discovery shows Mythbusters reruns about 4 times a day, it was usually that. This way, I could get my mind off of whatever was keeping me up and just get some damn rest. Unfortunately, I've now somehow associated Mythbusters with sleep, to the point that I often end up taking an involuntary nap if I watch it in the middle of the day, even if it's a new episode.
now if you have trouble sleeping, the best remedy is to find an audiobook about physics thats narrated with a british accent.
@HeartBurnKid: The only way to be sure is to write in and suggest that they apply their methods to your own experience!
Will it be confirmed? Is it even plausible? Or will it be busted?!?
Those of us who do NOT watch television all that often are still on the Circadian time-clock....
I go to sleep when I start to hear crickets in my backyard... they call me Mr. Natural...
What happens if you watch TV on your computer...and you never turn off your computer :S
I found I needed to set the amount of sleep I needed (7 is a good number) and make a physical effort to move away from the pc (turning it off is more effective).
This pattern becomes easier when I need to wake up earlier...I don't have a choice as I know how bad my day and then week will be as a result...
It is all that evil time-shifting Tivo's fault. I feel better knowing that. The warm glow of the telly is not good for your sleep patterns, I would never have guessed that, (note to self, call pharmacy, refill Ambien.)
This post reminds me of Nina Hagan's "TV Snooze."
"He is asleep and the TV is on (2x)
All night long and he is asleep
Gets information from out of space
They use his TV set to come into his place, his place
To sit right on his face
"He is asleep and his mind is working hard (2x)
So hard, so hard, he's getting so smart
He is asleep and the TV is on (2x)
All night long and he is asleep"
Classic.
@HeartBurnKid:
I do the same thing, but not with Mythbusters. I have endless hours of Bob Ross's painting show to watch. If I can't sleep, all I need is his voice, painting his happy little trees.
Since my bedroom TV died, I have been watching it on my laptop, propped up on my nightstand.
It works every time.
There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. If we wish to make it louder, we will bring up the volume. If we wish to make it softer, we will tune it to a whisper. We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical. We can roll the image, make it flutter. We can change the focus to a soft blur or sharpen it to crystal clarity. For the next hour, sit quietly and we will control all that you see and hear. We repeat, there is nothing wrong with your television set. You are about to participate in a great adventure. You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to... The Outer Limits
And now...American Idiol...
Hah! Phooey to Science. My sleep pattern is governed by beer.
@HeartBurnKid: Haha, I am like that with Seinfeld reruns. I like going to sleep after watching an episode of Seinfeld. So, when I randomly watch it during the day, I tend to do the same thing.
I think I would rely more on nature's call if I saw nature. With all of our windows always being closed, I rarley notice the chance in daylight outside, and therefore rely on my own system. The only way I can tell my body that it is sleep time is by turning off te computer and watching Seinfeld.
I use an auto-shutdown program on my computer that forces my computer to turn off at a preset time. That way, I can be sure I am going to bed by a certain time.
I was under the impression that most people just Tivo-ed or taped TV shows, then watched them when they wanted to. I hardly even know when any show is "live."
Since we bought a DVR we seldom watch anything live anymore. We'll never go back I think. Our small town does not have analog TV so we have to subscribe to cable or sat. Cable is ridiculously expensive so we've had satellite for about 10 years.
When we spend the weekend out of town with family it's torture not to be able to see the TV schedule or the show descriptions. They have analog cable on a $1500 big screen LCD - what's the point?
We also watch alot of rerun TV via purchased DVDs or Netflicks.
Side-effect? We get our dose of TV but we are highly impatient during commericals when we can not skip them.
Ah, but *which* timezone?
[webseitz.fluxent.com]
Sometimes, I like to do what I call "Sleeping in the theater", where I put the bedroom TV on Turner Classic Movies or the Starz Western channel and sleep with it on all night.
Sometimes it's cool when the TV sound gets into your dream. It can be kinda trippy sometimes. Once, I was sleeeping during an old '50 cowboys & indians picture, and let's just say my "movie" was a LOT scarier than what was showing on the tube.
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