Just read an article about the
Shortness of Dark which details how life for us now differs a great deal than life before the light bulb was invented in terms of staying awake longer, and what it does to our health and those of our plants. Interesting read, as a guy who usually sleeps 6-8Hrs during weekdays and maybe a bit more (10max) on weekends I guess I'm on the verge of getting screwed over soon. I do feel sorry for those that can live on a 4hr sleep 'shift' diet.
Once humans began to use artificial light to vary the length of the day, the average night's sleep decreased from about nine hours to about seven, and the amount of sleep began to vary considerably from one night to the next. This irregularity prevents one's circadian rhythm from settling into a pattern, and creates a state of perpetual semi-jet-lag. Our bodies' rhythms attempt to appropriately adjust our alertness, blood pressure, and such for particular times of day; but we often do things contrary to this cycle, and therein lies the problem.
And then theres this...
A growing number of doctors believe that betraying our internal clocks is the source of a host of health problems. Once night falls, the body stays awake by activating the stress response, which in turn weakens the immune system. This is evidenced by the fact that individuals working graveyard shifts are more susceptible to stress, constipation, stomach ulcers, depression, and heart disease.
Well, lets not forget the youth of today going out, drinking, partying, clubbing and generally causing a muck of their internal clocks...