Sleep

Nicola here. Today I’m talking about sleep. Do you sleep like a log (like Rochester in the photo) or are you a light sleeper? An insomniac, even? I tend to sleep for about four hours, wake up, lie awake for a while and then go back to sleep. Until recently I had no idea that this might actually be quite normal and a throwback to the not so distant past. New research however suggests that as recently as the 19th century the idea of “first sleep” and “second sleep” was common. It was only with the introduction of artificial lighting and the push towards a more efficient use of time after the industrial revolution that the idea of sleeping over two separate parts of the night disappeared.

First and Second Sleep

"And at the wakening of your first sleepe You shall have a hott drinke made, And at the wakening of
your next sleepe Your sorrowes will have a slake." This quotation comes from an early English ballad called Old Robin of Portingale. In the medieval period it was the norm to sleep in two portions. The “first sleep” started about two hours after dusk. Then there was a waking period of about two hours when people would have a cup of tea, smoke a pipe, write letters, read a book or even go out to visit friends, and then there was “second sleep” until daybreak. Evidence for this comes from court records, diaries, medical text books and other literature including prayer books, which give a number of readings and prayers suitable for the time “between sleeps.” Between sleep was also the best time to have sex, if you believed the medical practitioners of the day, and the best time to conceive.

Spreading the Light

“Second sleep” started to disappear in the late 17th century when coffee houses in the cities started to open all night and more entertainments took places during the hours of the night. Previously the period after dark had been the province of criminals and of the supernatural, the haunt of highwaymen, prostitutes and witches, as one writer said. Although the wealthy could afford candles, most ordinary people could not afford to light the nighttime hours. Paris became the first city to light its streets at night in 1667, with Amsterdam following and London lit by 1684. It became fashionable amongst the urban classes to be up at night although in the country where there was no street lighting, fashions did not change so fast.

The industrial revolution encouraged an idea of clock- watching, time-consciousness and efficiency. Parents were encouraged to get their children out of a natural pattern of two sleeps per night. A medical text book of 1829 disapproved heartily of a first and second sleep; it was no longer the done thing and by the early 20th century the idea of splitting the night into a first and second sleep had completely vanished from public consciousness.

A Fascination with Sleep

Sleep, however, continues to be of fascination to us both in terms of our own experience and also in literature. Fairy tales such as Sleeping Beauty and Snow White involve magical sleep, as do other myths. King Arthur, for example, is said to be asleep by enchantment and will come again to save Britain when he is needed. The myth of the sandman, which I remember my grandparents telling me when I was a child, also stems from the medieval period. Shakespeare wove themes of sleep through his plays, in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and in Macbeth, for example, and wrote beautifully on the subject: "Sleep that knits up the ravelled sleeve of care, the death of each day's life, sore labour's bath, balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course, chief nourisher in life's feast."

In the past there were not the scientific and physiological explanations for sleep that we have today hence its close association with magic and even death. But that wasn't to say that people had not noticed the detrimental effect that worrying had on good sleep. Charlotte Bronte commented: "A ruffled mind makes a restless pillow." William Wordsworth tried counting sheep and imagining the soothing sound of rain falling and the hum of bees. These days there is everything from Sleep Labs to hypnosis to help us get a good night's sleep but I wonder if the reason some of us still wake is because sleeping through the night is actually an artificial state for our bodies and we are actually meant still to have a first and second sleep?

So how well do you sleep? Do you have a favourite myth or story that involves sleep? Do you like the connection between sleep and magic? And if we still had first and second sleeps, what would you enjoy doing with your “between sleep” time in the middle of the night?

Comments

[Anne Gracie]

Great post, Nicola. I'm not a great sleeper, I admit. I usually have no trouble falling asleep, but like you, I often wake up around 4 am. Sometimes I get up and get a glass of water and maybe I'll look at the computer, but only if I'm expecting an email from my ed or agent. Generally I just toss and turn, trying to go back to sleep. And I usually do, after an hour or so.

So I really like this concept of two sleep periods being the natural thing to do. Makes me feel less weird. *g* And I might try embracing it, rather than fighting it, see if it makes any difference.

[Nicola Cornick]

Thanks, Anne! I do think that the theory of first and second sleep explains why so many of us will naturally wake up in the middle of the night and not go back to sleep for a while. Definitely worth embracing if it's a pattern we find ourselves in.

[Sherrie Holmes]

Sherrie, here. This is a very timely post, Nicola, since I'm going through a whole battery of tests and sleep studies related to health issues. It turns out I have severe obstructive sleep apnea and I'm not getting any REM sleep. So I'm very interested in anything having to do with sleep . . . or the lack thereof!

Fascinating about first and second sleep! I'd never heard of that before. For me, it would be disastrous if I got up in the middle of the night and puttered around for an hour or so before going back to bed. I'd probably get wrapped up in some project or other and then I would be too involved and busy to go back to bed! I know a lot of people who have sleep issues, and I don't envy them. I'm only now learning how important sleep is, and how badly it affects your health when you don't get enough proper sleep!

[Pamela Hartshorne]

Another really interesting post! It takes me ages to get to sleep at night, largely because I'm usually writing until I'm too tired to go on - I can't seem to work in the mornings at all - and my head is buzzing when I go to bed. That's when I get my best ideas too, so no sooner have I switched off the light than I have to put it on again and scribble down some notes. I know it's stupid but it's really hard to change working patterns. Wish I could drop asleep like Rochester!

[Maria]

I didn't sleep well until I became vegan 5 years ago; now I can sleep through the night. However, because I sleep so well and know how much sleep I need (7 hours), sometimes I wake after 3 or 4 hours then go back to sleep for the remainder of the night. I'd love to make love in between but my husband is too groggy!

[HJ]

This is very interesting! I was aware that "in the olden days" people went to bed and to sleep much earlier, partly because of the cost of lights and partly because they also tended to get up earlier, with the sun. But although I'd heard the expression "first sleep" I did not know about this division of the night into first and second sleeps. I'd always thought that one was supposed to sleep "all night long" and that waking in the night was another symptom of my poor sleep. Now I shall just tell myself I'm normal (!), and listen to an audiobook.

But what did they do in summer? At midsummer the night is hardly long enough for two separate periods of sleep!

[Patricia Rice]

The study of sleep fascinates me as much as the study of how our brains work. Thanks for the great post, Nicola!

My whole family requires more sleep than the norm--nine hours in adults and more in the kids. I'm used to conking out the instant I hit the bed, but these last years I've started waking up around 3AM with my head full of all the To Do lists. Guess I should get up and write them down!

[Nicola Cornick]

Hi Sherrie! Yes, I think the danger of getting up and doing stuff is getting too wrapped up in whatever it is and forgetting to go back to bed. That would completely mess up your night. Maybe that's why a lot of things people did between first and second sleep took place in bed!

Sleep apnea is another very interesting are of research. I guess there must be historical records of sufferers before it became a recognised condition. I hope that modern science is able to help you deal with yours!

[Nicola Cornick]

Pam, it sounds as though you fall into the owl versus lark debate when it comes to waking hours. I'm sure lots of authors will be able to identify with that feeling of not being able to switch off the ideas at bedtime! Like a lot of people I do keep a pad by my bed to jot down ideas that come to me in the night. The trouble is by then I'm usually wide awake and can't get back to sleep for ages. It would be lovely to be able to sleep like a puppy!

[Nicola Cornick]

Maria, it's interesting that diet has had such an effect on your sleep. It does sound as though your sleep pattern fits the first and second sleep. My husband sleeps like a log as well and I can't imagine him appreciating being woken up "between sleeps" for any reason!

[Carol Luciano]

A very interesting post. This is the first time I ever heard about fist and second sleep. When I was younger I slept like a log and when I had my kids I could go to sleep but wake up at the drop of a pin.I think that was just the maternal "being on the alert" for the kids all Moms have.It's only the last couple of years that I fall asleep and 4-5 hours is when I wake . Without fail. Sometimes I'll stay up an hour or so and can go back to sleep but others I just stay awake.
Carol L.

[Artemisia]

I read that article about 1st sleep and 2nd sleep. "Aha! I'm normal!" All my life I have awakened between 3 and 4 a.m. Sometimes I go right back to sleep, but sometimes I have to get up, walk to the bathroom, rearrange the bed & pillows, put on a cd of rain, before I can doze off again. Found out a musician friend does the same, ex she puts tv on with sleep timer. Another just walks a circle through her apt. We're normal. Who knew!

[Nicola Cornick]

I think it's fascinating that so many of us follow the same sleep pattern and it does give support to the idea of a natural period of first and second sleep. HJ, it's an interesting question as to what people did in the summer. Here in Southern England it gets dark at about 10pm in summer and starts to get light at about 3.30am but in Scotland it doesn't get fully dark at all. Maybe people slept more in winter and less in summer the way that animals still do (and the way I find myself behaving in winter!) Or perhaps they followed their body clock and still went to bed at about 10pm and up at 5am to work the fields.

[Nicola Cornick]

Hi Pat! Interesting that you have a family gene that means you all need more sleep (and lucky, I guess, that you are all the same in this!) I've been told that it definitely helps to write down all the stuff that's in your mind at 3am because then your mind thinks you have dealt with it and lets you go back to sleep.

[Nicola Cornick]

I definitely agree, Carol, that Moms have that ear open for anything that might suggest a child needs them. It's interesting that you have now moved into the first and second sleep pattern.

LOL, Artemisia! We are indeed normal! I have lots of different soothing sounds to help me get to sleep; rain and waves are my favourite.

[Karenmc]

I have severe apnea and have used a CPAP machine for three years. Before I was diagnosed, every bit of my energy was used for my job and driving to/from work. The CPAP gave me back a more normal amount of energy. Recently I cut carbs out of my diet, and that seems to have made me less sluggish once I wake up (but I AM missing my English muffin every morning).

[Nicola Cornick]

It's great to know that the CPAP can be so effective, Karen. I'm sorry to hear about the loss of the English muffin though!

[Caroline Storer]

Great post Nicola. I'm a rubbish sleeper. I wake up at the slightest sound - so have to use ear-plugs. Woe betide if I forget to put them in or take them on holiday. Then it's a frantic rush to find some - or resort to the use of toilet paper - nice! Caroline x

[Liz]

Some options I'm not trying:
http://silverrushmysteries.blogspot.com/2013/01/sleep-well-with-help.html

[Polly McCrillis]

This first and second sleep is fascinating. The first stage I'm very familiar with, the second, not so much. Since my early teens I've had fractured sleep. I'd wake up with poems, melodies and lyrics streaming through my mind. In college I'd jolt awake in a panic over unfinished assignments, upcoming tests and piano pieces that needed memorizing. Single motherhood kept me hyperalert to kid noises and now, years later, I get in maybe four hours of sleep before waking up with a busy brain, usually my characters tromping around demanding attention. If I were an inventor or scientist I'd invent a switch that clicks off brain activity so I could stay asleep or at least get back to it!

[Donna]

Absolutely fascinating post, Nicola! I'm lucky that I fall asleep quickly and stay asleep (until the alarm goes off or dawn breaks - whichever comes first).

I've never heard of 1st and 2nd sleep either, but a close friend is a doctor/sleep specialist, so it will be interesting to ask her about modern views of this.

[Jenny Reid]

This is fascinating Nicola. I must admit I'm mpt a good sleeper, and usually wake after about three hours. Then I have trouble getting back to sleep unless I get up and wander around the house in the dark for an hour or so. I usually grab a biscuit at the same time and sometimes sit a look at the stars. Now I know why. In future I shall get a drink, read or muse, and then go back to bed, only to be desturbed by the other half, who has slumbered all night, getting up to start the day. This means I miss my best part of second sleep.

[Janice]

I've never heard about first and second sleep before either, but it seems to fit many people's sleep patterns (including mine, most of the time). I usually go to bed around 2 am, wake around 6, go drink some water, wander around and check on stuff, and then go back to bed and wake again around 10 or 11. When I was working, I was always short on sleep because their hours didn't suit mine at all. Now that I'm happily unemployed, I can sleep as late as I like and I'm sure my temper is much improved!

[Nicola Cornick]

I must admit that I have resorted to the use of earplugs as well sometimes, Caroline. They can be pretty effective for a light sleeper. Not sure about the loo roll though!

Thank you for the blog link. Liz. What a fascinating article! Not sure I'll be trying the flesh brush!

[Nicola Cornick]

Polly, you'd make a fortune with that invention. I'd be queuing for that!

Donna, at last someone who sleep well. I do envy you!

[Linda]

Sleep! Something I don't get a lot of. I barely get 4-5 hrs a day: I read too much! I'm usually out like a light within 5 mins of putting my head on the pillow. My dad used to tell me stories of having out of body experiences when he was in the half asleep/awake state. Kinda spooky I used to think..

[Nicola Cornick]

LOL, Jenny, it is difficult to match up two different sleep schedules, isn't it! I like the idea of sitting and looking at the stars. When I get up in the night I always peek out of the window at the sky.

Janice, you are indeed fortunate to be able to follow the sleep times that suit you best rather than being tied to a work schedule. I think that must be one of the hardest things for people, being sleep deprived because their sleep simply doesn't fit regular hours.

[Nicola Cornick]

That does sound very spooky, Linda. Also good inspiration for a writer's imagination!

[Diane P. Diamond]

Hi Nicola,

I found this article fascinating. I'd never heard of first and second sleep either. I have a terrible problem falling asleep, even when I'm bone tired. I just can't seem to shut my mind off from thinking about anything, and everything. I always read for about three to four hours, and even though this makes me sleepy, I still can't fall asleep. Therefore, I have to take half a sleeping pill to help me on my way.

Now, my daughter has no problem falling asleep, but always wakes up after a few hours. She's then awake for quite a while before she can fall back to sleep.

I'm going to forward this article to her, as I think that she will find it very interesting. :-)

[Samantha]

This explains my 11 month old's tendency to have a "pre-bed nap", be up for an hour or so and then sleep the rest of the night. Who would have thought that was normal?

[Nicola Cornick]

Hi Diane! I'm sorry you have such trouble sleeping. Seems there are a lot of us with similar sleep-related issues. Your daughter sounds as though she fits right into the "first sleep" and "second sleep" pattern. So does your 11 month old, Samantha! Amazing!

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

This is such a fascinating post, Nicola (And I love the quotes! Have already sent the Charlotte Bronte one to a friend who is wondering why she is having trouble sleeping amid worries over aging parents.)

I tend to sleep straight through the night, but lately I find myself waking up in the middle of the night . . . I am happy to know that I am simply following a Regency tradition.

[Ella Quinn]

I stay up until I'm tired then sleep all night, unless something 4 legged wakes me up. My husband falls asleep much earlier than I do and gets up in the middle of the night for a while, then goes back to sleep. I'll have to tell him it's actually normal to do that.

Thanks for the post Nicola.

[Nicola Cornick]

Hi Cara! Yes, I think it's rather nice to think that we are only doing what our ancestors took for granted. I will certainly look on insomnia in a different way and perhaps if we all relax we will get back to sleep!

[Nicola Cornick]

Hi Ella! It definitely sounds as though your husband is following the traditional two sleeps routine!