Roast Beef for Breakfast.

[swestrup]

As my diurnal cycle swing wildly around the clock, I sometime find myself waking up into situations that developed during the day when I slept. Case in point: when I woke up at 5:00 pm I was informed that one of our neighbors would be joining us for supper in a little over an hour. We have been trying to get her to come over for ages, and our schedules simply didn't work out. Then, suddenly today she was free and as Linda was already planning on cooking roast beef, it seemed a good time.

So, I've rushed around having a shower, getting dressed, and drinking coffee and will shortly be having roast beef and wine for breakfast. A bit of an unusual breakfast for me, but this way at least my life doesn't fall into a rut...

Comments

[pythonian.livejournal.com]

Well, it's not really a diurnal cycle then, is it? Diurnal is defined as being during the day, while nocturnal is the nighttime counterpart.

Perhaps referring to the cycle as your "circadian" cycle might be more accurate, although even that is not quite right in your case as the term circadian refers to a 24 hour cycle. My understanding is that yours is more like a 27 hour cycle by your own admission. It is, however, the best term we've got I think.

From Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circadian_rhythm#The_biological_clock

[taxlady.livejournal.com]

You seem to forget the "circa" part of the word - about or approximate.

[pythonian.livejournal.com]

Not at all. I said it was "NOT QUITE right". A 27 hour schedule will be completely out of sync with a 24 hour schedule very quickly before coming back into sync.

Most researchers place any rhythm beyond 24 in the class of "infradian" rhythms, while one group places the border around 28 hours. Similarly, rhythms shorter than normal are termed "ultradian". Again, the borders are in doubt, with most putting it at less than 24 hours and one around 19 hours.

Since the true limits are in doubt, I consider it best to err on the side of caution and deem the limits of "circadian" as 24 hours.

My main issue was with his use of the word "diurnal". That word is defined strictly as a daylight cycle. Which leaves us with "circadian" as the most well known and therefore reasonable term to use in casual conversation. Certainly in the sense of a "day" as defined as the period from waking to waking, it will do. :-)