settle a debate about sleeping patterns

I think, without much evidence, that throughout the course of one’s life, one’s natural sleeping patterns (the hours when one goes to sleep/wakes up) shift naturally. generally, when one is younger one has a tendency to stay up later. the opposite holds when one ages. I also think that societal ‘patterns/pressures’ reinforce this natural shift. so, on my account, the reason older people go to sleep early/wake up early and have dinner at 4pm is because, at some point, their natural sleep cycle shifts and this shift is reinforced by societal patterns (such as Early Bird Specials and schedules of others (who conform to the norm) in Del Vista Boca).

My friend scolds me for having no reason/evidence to think this. For all i know, what appears to be a natural shift in sleeping patterns is actually just people conforming to the norm of their age group/surrounding environment. Can anyone prove me right or wrong (or point me to a definitive/well accepted article on the matter)? i won’t be able to sleep until this is resolved.

Oh BABY, I’m all over this biatch…er…I mean…I will do my best to answer this question.

Sorry ecorriel but Denny’s, super aggressive, “in yo face,” balistic, early bird advertising model has nothing to do with the elderlys’ stoner-esque sleeping patterns. It’s all about neurobiology and prolly a pinch of Bio-chem too. Although I can’t outline a typical, pathological degredation in healthy sleep with age, I can say this. Generally ol’ folks need less sleep more often. In contrast, the young generally need more sleep less often. IIRC, in college they told us Neuro-bio kiddies that this had to do with the integrity and efficiency of neuro pathways, which icreases with age. So, one might ask, why don’t we see a clear pattern in every day life where the young sleep for 12 hours a night and the old throw giant keggers, get the munchies, and drive down to the local mini-mall to rock IHOP at 4 a.m.? This is where I think the sociological aspects may be considered.
I suspect that the societal pressure, and I say this as a bitter structural functionist (save it, Soc. Docs), is more inclined to deprive the young of necessary sleep. Society functions (again save it you convoluted Soc. Phuds) on the labor (working) of the young and the economy they generate as consumers (partying, drinking, buying useless crapola, dating, upgrading useless capola, cheating…etc.), with the advent of leisure in the 20’s and the defeat of culturalists wishing to imbibe in art and culture instead of work and matrerialism and…whoops. Point is, the old are not compelled to wake at the butt crack of dawn becuase of some wild addiction to the “rooty,” the “tooty,” or “the fresh and fruity.”
The change in sleeping pattern or rather the seemingly odd increase in the number of grand dad’s naps as he gets older is shrouded by the young not sleeping as needed. Thus the pattern is hidden. Thank god for scientists who grind up monkey brains to find out exactly why that easy chair is so much easier for gramps than grand-son, who needs 2000mg of ridalin just to eat a bowl of f*cking friut loops! Unfortunately, they consider that “dead” look Gram has when she’s snoozin’ to be pathological (das means no goods), and treatable (that means my genoration can forget the hammock and get ready to start poppin’ leagle crack, just to get a few more hours out og the day…great).

What’s that…you want proof, m-kay: Here it is.

Truth is, when I’m old I hope they just let me sleep…hmmm…sleep. Sounds good right now/

–J

p.s. Conflict theory licks balls!
p.p.s. nah, it’s salright, I guess…