When I can’t sleep, I turn around and sleep “upside down” - moving my pillows to where my feet were beforehand, and my feet to where my head was beforehand - and I stick with that for a week or so. It gives me a week or so without insomnia and then wears off, so I have to turn myself back around for the next 7-12 day period.
Admittedly this could just be a me thing, but let’s put our faith in this method and let the power of placebo effect take hold. Boom, minor bouts of sleeplessness are cured.
What are your own examples of this?
The “8 hours of continuous sleep” cycle is a modern invention. Even sleeping alone is a modern invention.
Prehistoric people used to sleep in groups. There would be different cycles of sleeo. The young would be up late and sleep until late, while the old would tuck in early and get up early. You can probably imagine that that would be nothing like a silent, dark, soletary bedroom that people have today.
Even before the industrial age and arteficial lighting, sleep cycles would be very different. People used to have “first sleep” and “second sleep”. First sleep was often only a couple hours after sunset. In between sleeps was time for chores or prayer or even sex. This has even been documenten in old works like The Canterbury Tales were they mention things like “after my first sleep…” like it’s the most normal thing to say.
I hear about these things. But I have doubt based on personal experience. When I’ve done long hikes (did both the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails), I would nearly universally knock out pretty much as soon as the sun set. This, after a lifetime of being a night owl who very easily would stay up until 2am every night.
And this was true of basically everyone else I met in every age group as well. 17 year olds to 70 year olds all abserved hikers midnight, hitting their sleeping bags hard not long after sunset. Even with a campfire going and socializing to be had, staying up 2 hours past sunset was a hefty proposition.
Also, with the 2 sleeps thing - on the trail, I typically slept straight through the night. I might wake up once or twice to pee, but then I would lay back down and be right back to sleep.
My guess is that
This stopped being common as watches and clocks became more affordable, and therefore our employers demanded we show up to the minute at scheduled time.
Our employers, who weren’t getting any middle-of-sleep-sex, demanded we all take one single 8 hour sleep instead
Honestly sounds like the most rock & roll thing ever. Pre-scheduled medieval sexing time - gotta say our midnight prayers first, though.
Sounds like a nightmare. What if someone has sleep apnea or sleepfarts or youre just too hot and sticky and full of night sweats?
Psst. That’s okay. Smelly sex is still great sex.
sleepfarts??? this word isn’t in the bible 😂