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Re: (meteorobs) How do you do it?
-- [ From: Robert Lunsford * EMC.Ver #2.5.1 ] --
Michael, You Wrote:
> I continue to read about how many of you observe all night for a few
> nights then go back to a "normal" sleep-wake schedule then stay up all
> night again.
> I always have found that when you sleep is determined by habit. For
> example: If for about a week or more you go to bed at 9:00pm then the
> following week you will naturally be tired at 9:00pm. Many people who
> work night shifts are naturally awake all night and are use to
sleeping
> in the day. But for a meteor observer who has school or work during
the
> day; how do you constantly change the sleep-wake schedule on your body
> and on some nights, when you don't observe, sleep. And stay awake on
> other nights to observe for seemingly long hours?
I hope Joseph answers this but I would like to put forth my 2 cents
worth.
I am lucky (?) in that I normally work from 2-11am. I have been on this
schedule for 9 years now. Getting up for a 4 hour observing session is
no big deal, especially in winter, when I can observe from 2-6am. It is
more of a pain in summer when I need to rise by midnight in order to
watch for 4 full hours.
Since we work 10-12 hour shifts on the weekends (and you wonder why you
rarely see me observing on weekends?) I have 2 short shifts per week
when I can go to work at 6 or 7am. I often sleep from 8 until midnight,
drive up to George's site and watch from 1-5am and then report to work.
On days like that I usually sleep from 11am to 2pm and then pick the
kids up at school. I am ready for more snoozing by the time 8pm rolls
around again.
As for "all-nighters" I feel this is beyond my capabilities, at least
during the long winter nights (as I found out during the recent Geminids
). It was nice to see all of those long Geminids early in the evening
but I paid for it when 3am rolled around and I could not stay awake.
As for people who work normal 9-5 jobs or go to school it must be very
difficult to observe for more than an hour or two without falling asleep
..
Bob Lunsford