Troglodytes are us.

[kickaha]

ginkgo went and got new drapes for the bedroom yesterday - very thick, very solid drapes.

The bedroom is now *pitch black* at night. We both fell asleep much more quickly, and slept much more soundly. At least, I did. Since she gets up easier in the morning, she whips the drapes back and the blinds up first thing, and that helps kick start my circadian cycle. (Kick start. Cycle. Heh.)

I think this is going to help my sleep schedule a lot. I'm *very* sensitive to light levels, it seems. Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm a serious night owl. I work/play all night, sleep all day. This has caused me issues over the years, not the least of which is a complete lack of feeling rested. I can count the good nights of sleep in the past decade on my fingers, I bet.

Except when I'm camping, and then I'm completely diurnal. Sun goes down, I'm asleep. Sun comes up, I'm up. Heck, when I'm camping, I'll often get up at first light, and watch the sun rise. (This totally freaked out ginkgo the first time she witnessed this, since I woke *her* up to watch the sun rise over Badlands.) I sleep light when I camp, and frequently wake up to small noises, but I feel great the next morning.

Add in artificial light, a TV, a laptop, etc, and I'm up all night because darnit, there's still light. So, at my request, we've started lowering the lights at night. No more overheads past 9 or 10, just small lamps. That alone has helped a lot in getting me to bed by 12. I think the drapes are going to help a lot more.

Comments

[lirrin.livejournal.com]

Hrm. That sounds exactly like me. Only I don't sleep in total darkness, and never have (there was a streetlight outside my window when I was a kid.) But I'm the same way...general night owl, and asleep or up with the sun when camping. I wake up a million times a night, and am a generally restless sleeper who never feels fully recovered in the morning.

I wonder what sleeping in pitch blackness would do. It'd be novel, that's for sure. I've always pooh-poohed it, since I have ZERO trouble falling asleep...but maybe I'd stay out more thoroughly. I'll have to check it out.

[kickaha.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I was out in a matter of... seconds last night? No more than two minutes, and normally I take a long time to go to sleep, even when I'm exhausted. It was *weird*. Nice though.

Woke up at 4am on the dot, and almost got out of bed - felt like I was between REM cycles, and was actually pretty awake all of a sudden. Decided that was silly to do, since I didn't want to end up being up all night, (although if it happens again, I may run with it) and went immediately back to sleep. Woke up at 8:30, and didn't exactly bounce out of bed, but at least it didn't feel like a struggle.

We noticed that as soon as the drapes were up, and the room was dark, the cat slept on the bed all evening. She never does that - she normally naps on the bed a bit, but only for short spells. When she *sleeps* she goes into a very dark box she adopted. So... I figure if the critter thinks that dark is good for sleep, it probably is. :)