Also: life, health.

Sleep

Articles

The strange reasons medieval people slept in cupboards

By Zaria Gorvett, posted 22nd January 2024
https://bbc.com/future/article/20240122-the-strange-reasons-medieval-people-slept-in-cupboards

The forgotten medieval habit of ‘two sleeps’

By Zaria Gorvett, posted 10th January 2022
https://bbc.com/future/article/20220107-the-lost-medieval-habit-of-biphasic-sleep

double sleeping, or “biphasic sleep”
in France, the initial sleep was the “premier somme”; in Italy, it was “primo sonno”
ballads: "Old Robin of Portingale. “…And at the wakening of your first sleepe, You shall have a hot drink made, And at the wakening of your next sleepe, Your sorrows will have a slake…”
far from being a peculiarity of the Middle Ages, suspect that the method had been the dominant way of sleeping for millennia – an ancient default that we inherited from our prehistoric ancestors
The night-time wakefulness usually lasted from around 23:00 to about 01:00, depending on what time they went to bed. It was not generally caused by noise or other disturbances in the night – and neither was it initiated by any kind of alarm (these were only invented in 1787, by an American man who – somewhat ironically – needed to wake up on time to sell clocks). Instead, the waking happened entirely naturally, just as it does in the morning.
The period of wakefulness that followed was known as “the watch” – and it was a surprisingly useful window in which to get things done. “[The records] describe how people did just about anything and everything after they awakened from their first sleep”
the watch was also a time for religion
Saint Benedict required that monks rise at midnight for these activities, and the idea eventually spread throughout Europe
most of all, the watch was useful for socialising – and for sex
Once people had been awake for a couple of hours, they’d usually head back to bed. This next step was considered a “morning” sleep and might last until dawn, or later. Just as today, when people finally woke up for good depended on what time they went to bed.

At the start of the experiment, the men all had normal nocturnal habits – they slept in one continuous shift that lasted from the late evening until the morning. Then something incredible happened, after four weeks of the 10-hour days, their sleeping patterns had been transformed – they no longer slept in one stretch, but in two halves roughly the same length. These were punctuated by a one-to-three-hour period in which they were awake.
As it turns out, biphasic sleep never vanished entirely – it lives on in pockets of the world today.
One major side-effect of much of humanity’s shift in sleeping habits has been a change in attitudes. For one thing, we quickly began shaming those who oversleep, and developed a preoccupation with the link between waking up early and being productive.

How to sleep better: what is a sleep window and how can you find yours?

By Amy Beecham, Feb 2023
https://stylist.co.uk/health/sleep/how-to-find-ideal-window/757416

Sleeping with even a little bit of light isn’t good for your health

https://npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/04/01/1089997121/light-disrupts-sleep
Turning off the lights and closing the curtains isn’t exactly a catchy, new sleep hygiene hack, but this common sense advice is gaining even more scientific credibility
Many Americans sleep in a room that’s punctuated with some form of artificial light — whether it’s coming from a TV, a jumble of electronics or an intrusive streetlight
New research suggests that one night of sleep with just a moderate amount of light may have adverse effects on cardiovascular and metabolic health

I once tried to cheat sleep, and for a year I succeeded

Would I do it again? Perhaps.
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/i-once-tried-to-cheat-sleep-and-for-a-year-i-succeeded

My tryst with polyphasic sleeping

By Akshat Rathi, posted May 30 2010
https://akshatrathi.com/2010/05/30/my-tryst-with-polyphasic-sleeping

Polyphasic sleep

https://www.mattressnerd.com/polyphasic-sleep
It’s probably no surprise that we nerd out over all things sleep. In our constant search for ways to get better sleep one topic we have continued to come across is the idea of “Polyphasic Sleep” Ever heard of it?
My guess is that time and time again, you’ve heard that you should try and get 8 hours of sleep per night. It’s pretty much common knowledge these days. What is talked about less is how and when you go about getting those 8 hours. Enter Polyphasic Sleep.
Polyphasic Sleep is the practice of dividing that sleep up over multiple smaller segments throughout a 24 hours period. Some argue that if done correctly, there are many benefits to this…

×