For anyone who has ever woken up in the middle of the night and stared at the ceiling wondering what went wrong, history offers a surprisingly comforting answer. For most of human existence, waking up after a few hours of sleep was not a problem to be fixed. It was the plan.

Long before electric bulbs, glowing phone screens, and late night work emails, humans followed a very different rhythm of rest. Sleep was not a single, uninterrupted stretch. Instead, nights were divided into two distinct phases, often referred to as first sleep and second sleep, with a calm waking period in between. This pattern shaped how people worked, prayed, socialized, reflected, and even understood time itself.

The idea that humans should sleep eight hours straight is a relatively new expectation. When viewed through the lens of history, modern insomnia looks less like a personal failure and more like a collision between ancient biology and modern life.

The Forgotten Rhythm of First and Second Sleep

For thousands of years, segmented sleep was the norm across much of the world. People typically went to bed shortly after sunset, sleeping for several hours before naturally waking around midnight. This waking period could last anywhere from an hour to two hours, after which they would return to bed for their second sleep until dawn.

Historical records from Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East describe this pattern as ordinary and unremarkable. It appears casually in court testimonies, diaries, medical texts, literature, and letters, suggesting that it was not limited to a specific class or culture.

Ancient writers referenced it without explanation, indicating that readers were expected to understand what it meant. Classical literature includes mentions of the hour that ended the first sleep. Medieval texts refer to activities completed after the first sleep but before morning. These were not poetic metaphors but literal descriptions of daily life.

The fact that these references span centuries and continents suggests that segmented sleep was not a strange cultural quirk. It was likely the default human sleep pattern for much of history.

Nights That Had a Middle

One of the most striking differences between historical sleep and modern sleep is how people experienced the night itself. Without artificial lighting, nightfall arrived early and decisively. Darkness shaped not just behavior, but perception.

When sleep was divided into two phases, the night had a clear midpoint. This quiet interval between sleeps created a sense of structure, especially during long winter nights when darkness stretched for many hours. Rather than feeling endless, the night was broken into manageable segments.

During this middle period, time felt different. Without clocks glowing on bedside tables, minutes were not counted. People were awake, but not rushed. The night was not something to endure but something to inhabit.

This pause allowed the mind to wander in ways that daytime rarely permitted. Thoughts unfolded slowly. Dreams from the first sleep lingered and were often reflected upon. The silence itself became meaningful.

What People Did While the World Slept

The waking period between first and second sleep was far from empty. Historical accounts describe it as a useful and sometimes cherished part of the night.

Some people rose from bed to tend practical matters. Fires needed stirring. Animals required checking. Tools were repaired. Food was prepared for the following day. In agrarian communities, this quiet labor fit naturally into daily life.

Others remained in bed and used the time differently. Couples talked softly, sharing thoughts that daytime distractions pushed aside. Intimacy often occurred during this interval, when bodies were rested and minds were calm.

Religion also played a central role. Many Christian traditions encouraged prayer during the middle of the night, viewing it as a spiritually powerful hour. Specific prayers were written for this time, emphasizing reflection, confession, and gratitude.

There were also moments of creativity. Letters were written. Ideas were explored. In later centuries, some people even kept tools by their beds to record insights that surfaced during the night. The mind, freed from daylight demands, seemed to operate differently.

Crucially, none of this was considered insomnia. Waking at midnight was expected. It carried no anxiety. There was no pressure to fall asleep as quickly as possible.

Light, Biology, and the Human Clock

The human body evolved in close alignment with the sun. Our internal clock, known as the circadian rhythm, responds primarily to light and darkness. When the sun sets, melatonin begins to rise, signaling the body that it is time to rest.

In a world without electric lighting, evenings were dim and quiet. After sunset, there was little to stimulate alertness. As a result, people became sleepy earlier and fell asleep more easily.

After several hours of rest, melatonin levels naturally dipped. This created a window of wakefulness in the middle of the night. With no bright light to suppress the hormone entirely, the body remained relaxed and receptive to returning to sleep later.

Modern research has shown that when people are placed in environments with extended darkness and no access to clocks or screens, many naturally drift into this two phase pattern. They sleep, wake calmly for a period, and then sleep again.

This suggests that segmented sleep is not a cultural invention but a biological tendency shaped by natural light cycles.

The Slow Disappearance of the Second Sleep

The decline of biphasic sleep did not happen overnight. It unfolded gradually over the past two centuries as societies changed.

Artificial lighting was one of the most powerful forces behind this shift. Oil lamps, gas lighting, and eventually electric bulbs extended the day deep into the night. People began staying awake long after sunset, pushing bedtime later and later.

At the same time, industrialization imposed rigid schedules. Factory work demanded consistent hours. Waking early became non negotiable, regardless of when sleep began. To function, people compressed their rest into a single block.

Bright light at night also altered biology. Exposure to artificial light suppresses melatonin and delays its release. This makes it harder for the body to fall asleep early and reduces the likelihood of waking naturally during the night.

Over generations, the first and second sleep merged into one. By the early twentieth century, the idea of eight uninterrupted hours became the standard, replacing centuries of segmented rest.

What was lost was not just a sleep pattern, but a way of relating to time and rest.

Why Waking at Night Now Feels Like a Problem

Modern sleep culture leaves little room for variation. The expectation of sleeping straight through the night has become deeply ingrained, reinforced by productivity ideals and wellness advice.

When people wake at three in the morning today, the experience is often accompanied by panic. Thoughts race. Clocks are checked. Minutes feel long and heavy. Anxiety builds around the fear of not getting enough rest.

Sleep specialists note that brief awakenings are normal and often occur near transitions between sleep stages. What matters most is how we interpret them.

Without the cultural framework that once welcomed midnight wakefulness, attention turns inward. Time seems to slow. The bed becomes a place of pressure rather than rest.

Ironically, the stress about being awake can make returning to sleep more difficult, creating a cycle that feels like insomnia even when the body is behaving naturally.

Time, Mood, and the Darkness

Our perception of time is not fixed. It stretches and compresses depending on mood, attention, and environment. Low light and anxiety tend to make time feel longer.

Research into time perception shows that people judge intervals as lasting longer in dim or evening settings compared to bright daytime environments. This effect is even stronger in individuals experiencing low mood.

In the past, the middle of the night was filled with meaning and gentle activity. Time passed without being measured. Today, staring at a glowing clock can make ten minutes feel endless.

This shift in perception plays a powerful role in how night awakenings are experienced. The same biological event that once felt calm can now feel distressing simply because of how it is framed.

Lessons From Long Winters and Dark Places

Extreme environments offer additional insight into the relationship between light, sleep, and time. In polar regions, where winter brings months of darkness, people often report distorted perceptions of time.

Studies of communities living at high latitudes suggest that adaptation is possible, especially when social routines are shared and stable. Genetics may also play a role in how individuals respond to prolonged darkness.

Experiments in caves and time isolation laboratories show that without natural light cues, people quickly lose track of days. Sleep patterns shift. Many adopt segmented sleep without being instructed to do so.

These findings highlight how deeply light structures human experience. When those cues change, behavior follows.

Rethinking Insomnia With a Historical Lens

Understanding the history of sleep offers a gentler perspective on modern sleep struggles. Not all night waking is a disorder. In many cases, it may be an echo of older rhythms.

This does not mean that everyone should attempt to split their sleep intentionally. Modern life comes with demands that make such schedules impractical for many people. Nor does it mean that persistent sleep difficulties should be ignored.

However, recognizing that the body is not broken for waking at night can reduce anxiety. Acceptance often makes it easier to rest again.

Cognitive behavioral approaches to insomnia frequently recommend leaving the bed after a period of wakefulness and engaging in a quiet activity under dim light. This advice mirrors historical practices more closely than many realize.

Letting go of the clock, embracing calm, and allowing wakefulness without judgment can help restore a healthier relationship with sleep.

Practice Good Sleep Hygiene

While history can help us reframe night waking with less fear, it does not replace the importance of healthy sleep habits in the modern world. Good sleep hygiene supports the body’s natural rhythms, whether a person sleeps in one block or experiences brief awakenings during the night.

One of the most important factors is consistency. Going to bed and waking up at roughly the same time each day helps regulate the circadian rhythm and stabilize melatonin release. Irregular schedules can confuse the body’s internal clock and make both falling asleep and staying asleep more difficult.

Light exposure also plays a critical role. Bright light in the evening, especially from phones, televisions, and computer screens, can delay sleep by suppressing melatonin. Dimming lights in the hour before bed and limiting screen use can help signal to the brain that night has begun. During nighttime awakenings, keeping light levels low reduces stimulation and makes it easier to return to sleep.

The sleep environment itself matters. A bedroom that is dark, quiet, and cool supports deeper rest. Using the bed primarily for sleep rather than work or scrolling helps the brain associate that space with relaxation rather than alertness.

Daily habits influence nighttime rest as well. Regular physical activity, exposure to natural daylight in the morning, and balanced meals all support healthy sleep patterns. Caffeine and alcohol, particularly later in the day, can interfere with sleep quality even if they do not prevent sleep outright.

Finally, how a person responds to waking at night can make a significant difference. Instead of watching the clock or worrying about lost sleep, engaging in a calm, low-stimulation activity such as reading in dim light or gentle breathing can reduce anxiety and help the body settle again.

Good sleep hygiene does not demand perfection. Rather, it creates conditions that allow the body to do what it has always done best when given the chance: rest naturally.

Could Biphasic Sleep Return in Modern Life

Some people today experiment with biphasic sleep, often in the form of a nighttime sleep combined with a daytime nap. Others explore segmented nighttime sleep during periods of low light, such as winter.

Results vary widely. For some, flexible schedules allow this rhythm to feel natural and restorative. For others, it creates more disruption than benefit.

Sleep experts generally emphasize consistency and sufficient total sleep over strict adherence to any one pattern. What matters most is alignment with individual biology and daily demands.

The resurgence of interest in segmented sleep reflects a broader desire to reconnect with natural rhythms in an increasingly artificial world.

What Our Ancestors Can Still Teach Us

The story of biphasic sleep is not about longing for the past. Life before modern comforts was harsh and uncertain. People slept in crowded spaces, faced constant danger, and endured physical hardship.

Yet their nights held something that many modern nights lack: permission to pause.

The middle of the night was not an enemy to be conquered but a quiet companion. It offered space for thought, connection, and stillness.

Today, understanding that sleep has always been flexible can be deeply reassuring. Rest is not a rigid formula. It is a rhythm shaped by culture, environment, and biology.

Waking in the dark does not mean something has gone wrong. It may simply mean that the body remembers an older way of being human.

In a world that rarely stops, the forgotten habit of two sleeps reminds us that rest has always been about more than closing our eyes. It has been about how we move through time, darkness, and ourselves.

Loading...