The New Murrey and Blue blog

Do you feel tired and often need a snooze? Perhaps your sleeping habits are out of sync with nature.

Previously, people slept differently from the way we do now. The idea of eight hours sleep in one go was unheard of. In the Middle Ages, the night was divided into two parts: the first sleep and the second sleep.

As the sun set and the darkness grew, people would retire early, aligning themselves with nature. After four or five hours, they would wake up and they would rise for a while. By candlelight, they would pray, read books, take a drink, answer a call of nature or even visit a neighbour.

After a while, they returned to bed for the second sleep, which lasted until dawn, when the sun rose and the sounds of nature coming to life would arouse them from sleep again.

For centuries, this was the normal nocturnal rhythm. It has been mentioned in diaries, stories, even medical manuals. But when the folk of the 19th century invented street lamps and factories, and urban life became noisier, the middle hours of the night became obsolete and people began to sleep in one session.

By the 20th century, even the memory of two sleeps had faded. What was once a natural rhythm changed. Perhaps that’s why so many people today suffer with insomnia.

There is a blog post from a friend of this blog, called: Before the Second Sleep: Middle of the NIght Musings, which I recommend.