Your Ancestors Didn’t Sleep Like You

a reply to: DerBeobachter

People woke up much earlier in the past. They had to make use of the daylight and most work days started very early. Maybe they woke in the night due to going to bed early. If I go to bed early, I always wake up during the night.

a reply to: ParasuvO

It's not what happens when I'm camping - I sleep right through.

a reply to: intrptr

It's attested to by Dickens, but most Victorians wouldn't be able to afford to keep fires burning all night long, especially in bedrooms. We don't have heating at night in England. It's too expensive and would get too warm. If you're under thick covers, you don't need it. They would have warming pans in their beds in Dickey's time. These days our winters are milder, but when In was a kid we had electric blankets, which we switched off once we were in bed. Some families just used hot water bottles.

a reply to: jonnywhite

They would often eat something or have sex, apparently.

a reply to: Guyfriday

What country are you talking about? People weren't wake all night in taverns. The bar would be closed, the cook gone to bed. That's very clear from literature.

a reply to: TiggyTiger

It's attested to by Dickens, but most Victorians wouldn't be able to afford to keep fires burning all night long, especially in bedrooms. We don't have heating at night in England. It's too expensive and would get too warm. If you're under thick covers, you don't need it. They would have warming pans in their beds in Dickey's time. These days our winters are milder, but when In was a kid we had electric blankets, which we switched off once we were in bed. Some families just used hot water bottles.

I addressed the OPs scenario, he was talking about sleeping in more primitive conditions.

You are talking about bedrooms, electric blankets and hot water bottles.

a reply to: intrptr

Various periods have been referred to in the thread. I was staying that it was a practice as late as the Victorian period, but stoking the fire wasn't a reason then. I've never heard of primitive peoples sleeping in two halves and it seems they don't. The Victorian period was already industrial. Maybe it as something that only happened for a few centuries in northern climes. I'm sure that the amount of sunlight would affect sleep patterns.

I have to take melatonin because my day is naturally longer than other people's. I sleep better with more sunlight. I'm half Yemeni but live in England so need more Vitamin D.

If I go to sleep in the evening when I am tired say 8-9 PM I wake around 1-2 AM fall back asleep around 4 am and wake a few hours later.

Not sure I could do this with a regular job, but I had few complaints when I did it as a full time student.

a reply to: TiggyTiger

Various periods have been referred to in the thread.

I referred to the OP.

I've never heard of primitive peoples sleeping in two halves and it seems they don't.

I lived "primitively" I can attest to developing a multi sleep cycle from direct personal experience.

Ever been camping? Try that for 7 years and get back to me.

There's no doubt that blue light is affecting our sleep, all the screens and TV and the street lights which, when I was younger were amber. I use an amber lamp a couple of hours before bed now and an amber screen filter app comes on on my computer. You can buy amber lightbulbs.

My cats are funny - they will sleep all day if I do. I have to wake them up. People told me that cats woke you up early! They sleep in the same room as me and they are in at night in the coldest months. They don't often stay out all night even in the summer.

I am glad I get at least 8 hours of sleep a night..some times more..