Without a doubt, a sufficient amount of sleep is necessary for a person to be healthy. Sleep restores brain activity and allows the body to relax. But, how and how much sleep do you need? Many people wake up in the middle of the night and believe that they have a sleep disorder or other ailments. The disease, of course, is not excluded, but it turned out that sleep does not have to last all night. Historical records, the literature of past centuries, opens our eyes to how our forefathers slept.
The so-called (interrupted sleep) turns out to be a more normal phenomenon than we used to think. Do you suffer from insomnia, waking up frequently at night?
English scientist Roger Ekirch says that our ancestors practiced segmented sleep, waking up in the middle of the night to pray, meditate or do household chores. In the literature there is the concept of “first dream” and “second dream”. Around XNUMX a.m. was considered the quietest period, perhaps because the brain produces prolactin, a hormone that keeps you feeling relaxed, at this time. Letters and other sources confirm that in the middle of the night people went to visit neighbors, read or did quiet needlework.
Our natural biorhythms are regulated by light and darkness. Before the advent of electricity, life was regulated by the rising and setting of the sun. People got up at dawn and went to bed at sunset. Under the influence of sunlight, the brain produces serotonin, and this neurotransmitter gives vigor and energy. In the dark, in the absence of artificial lighting, the brain produces melatonin. Computers, TV screens, smartphones, tablets – any light source forcibly lengthens our waking hours, knocking down biorhythms.
The practice of segmented sleep is gone from modern life. We go to bed late, eat food that is far from ideal. The norm began to be considered an uninterrupted night’s sleep. Even many medical professionals have never heard of segmented sleep and cannot properly advise on insomnia. If you wake up at night, your body may be “remembering” ancient settings. Before taking pills, try going to bed earlier and using your nighttime wakefulness for pleasant, calm activities. You can live this way in harmony with your biorhythms and feel better than many others.