Sleep may be one of the first things that goes when you have a little too much to do. I’ve been pretty good lately at not sacrificing sleep for work. However, yesterday I read an article that made me want to stay up a little at night
It was the BBC article The myth of the eight-hour sleep that gave a historic view back in time of how we used to sleep in two distinct chunks and how, according to the article, a growing body of evidence suggests that it may be unnatural for us to sleep for eight hours straight.
The article reference a historian, Roger Ekirch of Virginia Tech, who carried out a study and collected over 500 historical evidences that supported the two chunks of sleep. The evidence, ranging from medical books and literature, diaries and court records talks of how people used to go to sleep two hours post dusk, sleep for four hours and then be awake for an hour or two before again falling asleep for another four hours. What made me want to stay awake in the middle of the night is how the article describes how people used to be quite active during this time. Make a hot drink, talk, read, write or reflect over the dreams they’ve just had.
Whether it’s true or not I don’t know but, the point brought out by a psychologist, Dr Jacobs, that the one to two hours of forced relaxation in the middle of the night, could have played an important part in helping people manage stress, is quite interesting. And worth keeping in mind when we do wake up and lie sleepless for a while.
Tomorrow – Day 056 | Business plans
Image source: www.flickr.com/photos/smemon/5065074142
