Michael Press wrote: > In article <hlvvbr$50g$1@news.eternal-september.org>, > "PaulJK" <paul.kriha@paradise.net.nz> wrote: > >> Brian M. Scott wrote: >>> R H Draney wrote: >>> >>> [...] >>> >>>> If you want a crank, find the person who came up with >>>> Daylight Saving Time.... >>>> Then find his successor who decided that DST should apply >>>> for more of the year than "Standard" time....r >>> I like DST; my only objection is that we don't have it all >>> year round. >> I would prefer if every 24 hour day was made longer by one >> hour, i.e. 25 hours long. I know it would cause some strife >> for many people but I for one and people like me wouldn't have >> to suffer the pain of advancing my slow circadian rhythm clock >> by an hour every morning. > > There is a reason our circadian period is ~25 hour. > It is easier to reset a physical oscillator before > its natural end of cycle, than just after; much, > much easier. A free running 25 hour period allows > for enough stochastic variation to keep the period > longer than 24 hour.
Just a reminder: the 25 hour circadian period only manifests itself when the body does not receive any timing clues (light/darkness, clocks, fixed meal times etc). It is "natural" only if one defines "natural" that way.
The problem a lot of people experiencing regarding their circadian rhythm is not the 24-25 discrepancy but the mismatch of their circadian type (chronotype) with the requirements of their daily activities. It can also be that their circadian rhythm is somehow immune to "training" by timing clues.
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