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Want to sleep better and be healthier?  Go camping!

"According to researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder, a week in the bush can help reset your internal clock…"

"After exposure to natural light, melatonin levels began to move to 'daylight time' about 50 minutes before waking.

Wright says this means in the modern world our biological night extends past our wake time and explains why many of us are so sleepy in the morning.

He believes the changes in the internal clock are directly linked to exposure to sunlight: during their normal life the study participants were exposed to four times less sunlight than while camping.

'By increasing our exposure to sunlight and reducing our exposure to electrical lighting at night, we can turn our internal clock and sleep times back, and likely make it easier to awaken and be alert in the morning,' he says.

Previous research has highlighted the importance of good sleep with late bed times linked to unwanted waking, obesity and even cardiac problems and increased cancer risk."

The complete article:
Camping turns night owls into early birds
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2013/08/02/3816043.htm?site=science&topic=latest

Want to sleep better and be healthier?  Go camping!
“According to researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder, a week in the bush can help reset your internal clock…”

“After exposure to natural light, melatonin levels began to move to ‘daylight time’ about 50 minutes before waking.

Wright says this means in the modern world our biological night extends past our wake time and explains why many of us are so sleepy in the morning.

He believes the changes in the internal clock are directly linked to exposure to sunlight: during their normal life the study participants were exposed to four times less sunlight than while camping.

‘By increasing our exposure to sunlight and reducing our exposure to electrical lighting at night, we can turn our internal clock and sleep times back, and likely make it easier to awaken and be alert in the morning,’ he says.

Previous research has highlighted the importance of good sleep with late bed times linked to unwanted waking, obesity and even cardiac problems and increased cancer risk.”

The complete article:
Camping turns night owls into early birds
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2013/08/02/3816043.htm?site=science&topic=latest

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Comments

32 thoughts on “Want to sleep better and be healthier?  Go camping!”

  1. That's true too. When I go camping I always end up going to sleep earlier than usual and end up waking up earlier than usual. Also I'm rarely sleepy when I wake up in the morning. I really need to get out more.

  2. All this sounds reasonable but I can't seem to find anyone to go camping with me. It's no fun alone, and the only people I know are night owls. Getting said night owls to go camping to begin with is the trick.

  3. I disagree +Douglas McGhee one of my latest passions is getting out under the stars in the back country solo. If you haven't done it yet I encourage you to try. It is amazing how clear things become. I truly have found myself and a sense of direction by doing so…

  4. You start out with others interested in camping, outdoor excursions and / or backpacking +Douglas McGhee.  If you're just getting started you can go in an organized group through a store like REI, or if you have some gear and experience a more informal group of people just wanting to share the experience with others can be found through Meetup.com.   

    There may be regional or interest-based communities for  many outdoor activities here on G+ as well.  I've probably met and shot with 200 photographers through G+, but the development of the photography community here may be a little farther along than some others since we're so enthusiastic about sharing photos.   You can start a circle and/or community here on G+ to find others who'd want to get out on landscape photography trips in your area, or participate in the Northern California photography community already established to meet a few.  Announce a photowalk on a beach or in a park (Lassen, etc), and you could get a few photographers to join you.

  5. I find myself buying thicker and thicker ground pads +Douglas McGhee, and I like sleeping in the back of my SUV when convenient for warmth, less noise and no tent tear-down when I want to run off to a dawn spot, but I'd hate to be limited to the locations that a typical RV or trailer can access.  The impact on mobility just seems like too much of a cost.  I'd definitely consider a 4WD +Sportsmobile if my budget were unlimited.

  6. I saw that on the news also.  Thanks for this gorgeous picture.  I think many people are just to stressed in today's world.  Camping or just a day out in nature should help anyone.

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