First and Second Sleep?
If you’re a fan of the Lord of the Rings movies, you are familiar with the concept of first and second breakfast. But have you ever heard of first and second sleep?
Until a few days ago, I wasn’t aware such a thing existed.
As my husband and I were traveling along US Route 50, The Loneliest Road in America, he told me about an article he read about a woman who was killed in 1699 after “first sleep.”1
First sleep? What?
It’s called biphasic or segmented sleeping. Up until the start of the industrial revolution, it may have been the norm.
People would go to sleep soon after it got dark (remember, there were no electric lights). They would wake up a few hours later for an hour or two. Then they would fall back to sleep until morning.
As someone who frequently wakes up feeling well-rested after a few hours of sleep, with my brain going into high drive, I had been led to believe there was something wrong with me. Why couldn’t I get the recommended 8 hours of sleep?
In the past decade or so, I’ve come to accept and enjoy these middle-of-the-night musings. I take notes, and sometimes (although not often) I will get out of bed, turn on the computer, and work. But mostly, I lay in bed and enjoy some deeply imaginative internal conversations until I drift back to sleep. My second sleep.
Learning more about it...
Because I had a cell signal on that Loneliest Road, and I was curious, I did a quick Google search on “1st and 2nd sleep.”
The first article I scanned, on the WebMD website, pissed me off.
This is what I read…
“There are mixed views on whether segmented sleeping is safe. Since there hasn't been much research on the effect sleeping in shifts can have on your health, it's best to avoid it unless there's a reason you need to sleep that way, says Clete Kushida, MD, PhD, the medical director of the Stanford Sleep Medicine Center.”2 (Emphasis added.)
This is akin to having disclaimers to consult your doctor before you do anything. Want to start exercising? Consult your doctor. Want to switch up your diet a bit? Consult your doctor. Want to try a new way of sleeping? Consult your doctor.
What does your doctor really know about you?
What does your doctor really know about you?
You. As an individual.
Probably not much, right?
And when you do consult your doctor, what is the typical response? If they didn’t prescribe medication, they probably advised you to consult a licensed personal trainer, dietician, or to take over-the-counter Melatonin if you aren't sleeping well.
Again… what does your doctor really know about you?
Why have we as a society given so much control over our lives to other humans who also have relationship challenges, workplace frustrations, and student loans to pay off?
It's a valid question...
Asking whether biphasic sleep is healthy for you is a valid question. Yet who is best to answer that question for you?
Even a doctor who specializes in sleep disorders has their own agenda. It may be increasing their patient base. It may be funding for research based on the number of patients they have. It may be access to new technology based on the number of patients they have. Medicine is still a business.
And even if our doctors’ intentions are pure, they are using the “norms” and "patterns" that researchers have studied and published. Do you know if people similar to you were part of those research studies?
Yes, these research programs are supposed to serve humanity as a collective. Yes, they are supposed to create guidelines that will, hopefully, keep the population healthier. Yes, my inner conspiracy theorist questions their methods and motives.
And I can't help but wonder...
What if you are different? What if you are capable of making decisions for yourself (you are!)? What if you read or hear about an interesting concept and want to try it… without seeking permission from your doctor?
Okay… so let’s put in that dang legal disclaimer right here… because it’s what is sadly necessary for our litigious society.
I am not a doctor. I am not giving you medical advice. If you have questions about what I am saying, consult with your doctor before taking action.
Back to the quote that pissed me off…
“There are mixed views on whether segmented sleeping is safe. Since there hasn't been much research on the effect sleeping in shifts can have on your health, it's best to avoid it unless there's a reason you need to sleep that way, says Clete Kushida, MD, PhD, the medical director of the Stanford Sleep Medicine Center.”2 (Emphasis added.)
Because there are mixed views (on biphasic/segmented sleep), it is best to avoid it.
There are mixed views on EVERYTHING!
What you love, someone else will hate. What works for you, won’t work for someone else.
Avoiding something just because there are mixed views on it means you will avoid EVERYTHING in your life. You will NEVER change anything in your life.
Is that what you want? I don’t believe it is.
Instead of avoiding everything, look within yourself for guidance on whether to try something new or not. Are you curious? Intrigued? Use common sense and give it a try. Don’t overdo it. Don’t burn bridges behind you.
Experiment. Play. See what you learn about the activity and yourself.
Is biphasic or segmented sleep healthy?
For me, it probably is.
For you? I can’t say. That is something for you (or your doctor) to determine.
=====
Cited references:
1 https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220107-the-lost-medieval-habit-of-biphasic-sleep
2 https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/what-is-segmented-sleep
Additional info:
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/biphasic-sleep
