early human sleeping habits

[caveman_tx]

Ive been curious lately about how early humans slept.
What kind of beds they used, how they evolved physically
in the way of laying and getting rest. For instance,
our relatively large heads and long bodies make it
more difficult to get comfortable in a wide variety
of places as compared to the cat or, I dont know,
the moose.

I saw some discussion following the sentiment that
humans might have slept from dusk to dawn - more
or less - anymore information with regards to that?

thanks,
caveman_Tx

[JenofWi]

I don't have any big insights but this is something I wonder about, too. Did Paleofolk have fire? If so, they could've stayed awake when it was dark out. It still would have been more limited than the 100 watt bulbs - lights on all over the house way we live now.
I am curious about other's guesses on this, too.

[caveman_tx]

What is also interesting, and similar, to me is the role of sound in culture. Today we are saturated in the various noises of technology: traffic noises, trains, tv, commercials, radio, computers, and even the buzz of fluorescent lights. Life in the jungle, forests, or where ever have you, is more attuned to exterior sound-space (compared to the interior orientation of our virtual reality visually fed society). The visual becomes less emphasized as one can only see so far beyond the trees before us. Every space and distance is defined by the sounds of the culture and thus, in part, helps define our psychology. Perhaps this is a bit far off the subject path though...

[JenofWi]

It might be a little off topic but that's something I wonder about, too.
We have small children (6 1/2 and 4) and we got rid of our television. Adults have commented on how quiet and focused our kids are. They can get loud, no way around that, but they don't get rowdy all the time. They just don't have as much noise in their heads to fight with.
We've taken them to movies just a couple of times. They hate them. The movies are too loud and overwhelming. Way too much stimulation. My son begged for earplugs last time we went. We just stopped going. Someone told me I should take them more often in order to desensitize them. Yeah, right. They can watch the same movie on the TV at their grandma's house, no problem.
We do keep the radio on. Imagine how amazing music used to be before you heard it all the time. It's pretty great now but what if you only heard the music you made yourself or the more complex music you might hear around the group campfire.
When the radio is off I'm always uncomfortable in the silence. I'm just not used to it. When have I ever had silence or just natural sound? Never in my life. Even camping my folks used to bring a radio.
I remember hearing about an Indian who grew up in the Amazonian rain forest. He was taken to the plains and he just freaked out. He had been surrounded by trees his whole life. When he was out there under that huge sky with miles ahead of him to look out, he didn't know how to proccess it. And the scientists who had befriended him in the rain forest had had to depend on him to get around in the forest. They felt claustrophobic in there. They'd walk around a tree and boom there was another. All the time. They couldn't get used to it.
Anyway. Sorry to babble on, it's an interesting topic.