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Comment by ashtonkem | Hacker News Reader

Biphasic and triphasic are actually pretty normal, historically. Modern humans go to bed super late compared to our pre-electricity brethren; most people the world over would go to bed super early and have a “first” and “second” sleep, plus maybe an afternoon nap.

You’ll notice this effect if you go camping. The moment the sun goes down you’ll crash much sooner than you would at home, and you might find yourself fully awake at 2am or so.

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> Biphasic and triphasic are actually pretty normal, historically.

Is there evidence of this? I'm not doubting - I think I've seen this suggested before. I just don't know how people figured this out?

Oh, there’s tons of evidence for this, largely in the writings of pre-electricity figures who clearly treated the subject as common knowledge. Advice manuals from the time even indicate that this was the best time for couples to conceive.

Modern tribes without access to continuous light actually still sleep like this too, which is fascinating.

https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-16964783

Maybe check the references in this article?

https://theconversation.com/did-we-used-to-have-two-sleeps-r...

Anecdotally I remember reading that in Britain it used to be more common for some to wake up in the middle of the night and do light reading, but you’ll probably want to do some more research as I don’t recall the source.

Biphasic sleep is pretty common in Asian cultures. An afternoon nap is common in pre-schools and elementary schools, less common but still not non-existent in higher education and the workplace.

Compare also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siesta

I have adopted this type of strategy, though I've had to adjust it for city life.

Because of round-the-clock lights, I do not get the same signals from the sun and the darkness as before.

So I stay up as long as I will until I feel tired. Then, I sleep for as long as I want to until I want to get up.

If I only want to take a nap, I lie down on the carpet without taking my clothes off. If I want to sleep longer, I go to bed.

This is similar to when I am outdoors. If I only want to take a nap, I just lie down wherever, as long as it's out of the way. If I want to sleep longer, I put everything away, get in my sleeping bag or blanket, etc.

The way I feel now compared to how I felt when I was working office jobs, coming in at the same time every day, working the same hours, and then going home, and having to force myself to sleep in order to get up in the morning, is night and day. I feel fully rested, clear-minded, like I've run a full defrag, charged my battery to 100%.

This is despite the office work being in my 20s, and me now being in late 30s.

Midnight used to be the middle of the night, hence the name. Now it's when you think "Oh, I'll just check twitter one more time"

Try telling a modern person you go to bed at 8 and wake up 4. They'll look at you like you're insane.

Speak for yourself. I try and sleep by 10 every night, unless I'm socialising, then get up at 6am.

That’s still far from the middle of the night for you.

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