Everyone knows that anxious feeling of waking up at 2 or 3 in the morning. You lie awake counting sheep and wondering why you haven’t slept “all the way” through the night. You fret that this unwelcome break from unconsciousness will leave you tired, groggy and cranky for work tomorrow. A solid, 8 hour sleep with no interruptions is what we all need to feel properly rested, because surely that’s the most natural way to refresh and restart our bodies…Isn’t it?

Recent studies have revealed that the idea of one, long sleep is not as natural as we may think. In the 1990s a psychiatric study was conducted which involved human subjects being kept in 14 hours of regulated darkness every day for a month. At first, their sleeping patterns were haphazard. But by the final week, they had all fallen into a similar and quite distinctive pattern. They would sleep for four hours, wake for one or two, then settle into a second four hour slumber.

Could this actually be the most natural way for humans to sleep? In support of such scientific evidence, historical records show this was once common practice.

Literature throughout the 15th century is littered with references to a night’s “second sleep”. Countless prayer manuals from this period offer specially designed rituals for the scheduled time between these two segments of slumber.

Medical manuals from the 16th century even advise couples that the best time to conceive a child is “after the first sleep”, instead of straight after a long working day. It was a common belief that we are more refreshed and energetic between first and second sleep, and more capable of enjoying life’s pleasures.

In the 17th century, however, references to first and second sleeps began to fade away, and by the 1920s most societies had adjusted to our current pattern of aiming for one long sleep per night. This is partially attributed to the rise of modern nightlife. As our streets became well-lit and safer, the night was transformed into a more fashionable time to be out and about, and spending too much time in bed was seen as a waste of time. This, combined with our increasingly long working days, pushed most modern societies to condense their sleeping patterns, allowing for more time spent out of the house.

But the double sleep tradition is not completely dead. In recent years, studies have shown that while no longer being common practice, there are still people who do prefer this pattern of slumber. So in this day and age, how are you meant to spend these strange few hours of wakefulness in the middle of the night? If you’re keen to experiment with a bi-modal sleeping pattern, here are some “inbetween” activities that currently practicing people recommend:

• Wake up and do an hour of yoga or gentle exercise

• Go for a long walk (if you live in a safe area)

• Engage in an artistic hobby, like photography or painting

• Sync your ‘sleep break’ with your partner and spend extra time together

• Write a dream journal

Whatever tickles your fancy, one thing’s for sure - in these hectic and stressful modern times, where sleeping pills are one of the most sought after and even abused pharmaceuticals, this knowledge could be a revelation for many who suffer frequent “insomnia” halfway through the night.

Of course, whether you decide to sleep once a night - or twice - a high quality mattress is still one of the most important things to consider if you want to feel refreshed and healthy each morning. Here at Wellington Beds our staff are all trained industry experts, and can advise you about the best bed to help you achieve a superior sleep (or two!), every single night.