Thread two for the 3am crew

Wideawake at 4.00. I think I may have had 6 hours which is enough. I am hoping once the lighter evenings are here I won't go to bed so early and may sleep longer.

Ar the moment once it's past 7.00 pm my warm bed and book call me. It's far too early. But no matter. I don't sleep in the day.and don't feel tired.

I shall go and make a mug of tea. It doesn't feel too cold so the kitchen won't be too Arctic.

I suspect that the biphasic sleep affected everyone, but the serfs and peasants had less in the summer with the needs of livestock and their little strips of land. Winter was the time to sleep, to listen to sagas, to sing and party.
Been awake for an hour. My allocated 5 hours are done.

DH has perfected the modern version of segmented sleeps. He can sleep during the day, doze off in the evening, sleep through till around 5am then go back to sleep till he makes me a cup of tea around 7.30 when I get up.
He’d have been OK in medieval times . . . Except knowing our luck, we’d have been serfs.
Did they have the luxury of biphasic sleep I wonder. Or was their sleep pattern regulated by the demands of the Lord and Lady?

Thanks Lemsip Yes I did know about the two sleeps. Awake in the night I can see myself in a towering wig, face patches and a huge panniered dress… sipping ratafia 😁😁

Absolutely fascinating article lemsip.

I've always wondered what they did for lighting in the early hours...

www.englandcast.com/2025/03/medieval-two-sleep-cycle/
Did you know that people in the past didn’t sleep in a single eight-hour block? The Medieval Two-Sleep Cycle was a common practice where people slept in two distinct phases—first sleep and second sleep—with a period of wakefulness in between. This nightly pattern, known as biphasic sleep, was a natural and widespread habit across pre-industrial societies, referenced in historical texts, medical writings, and even literature like Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. Before artificial lighting and industrial work schedules reshaped our sleep habits, medieval people embraced this segmented sleep as part of their daily lives. In this article, we’ll explore how this ancient sleep cycle worked, why it faded, and what it means for modern sleep health.

I heard about the 'Two Sleeps' of medieval times through a friend... interesting read.

I’ve always been a night owl and since I retired I’ve become virtually nocturnal. But I watched a podcast on utube the other day that was about diet and IBS and it talked about sleep problems, cicadium (?) rhythms etc so I’m going to try to change that. Especially as, for the past few days I’ve been nodding off on the sofa early in the evening and waking up at 6/7. It’s partly because I have to take my iron tablets early in the morning on an empty stomach. The podcast said to drink only water first thing ( which I’ve been doing recently anyway). Then go outside ( or use a light box) and do some exercise. Then, after a while, have coffee and breakfast. This triggers serotonin in the morning. I need to rewatch it as I can’t remember how to trigger melatonin in the evening but I assume it advises taking magnesium and zinc. It isn’t going to stop me needing to get up for a wee several times in the night, though. I always remember my mum saying that one hours sleep before 12 was worth 2 hours afterwards. I wish we could buy melatonin in this country. My SIL bought some melatonin gummies back from America that I used to take when I was staying at their house. Going to buy a light box.

Thanks BlueBelle. I think you are right. I need to have something to concentrate on other than my leg.

Ouch pain in the night is awful Greenfinch somehow seems much worse than in the daytime hope you can get some relief
grandmattie I think we have similar time clocks, afraid naps are part of my life and are here to stay 🤣

I would be able to sleep except for a very painful leg. I think it is sciatica but am not sure what pain relief I can take because I am on blood thinners. I will ring the pharmacy later. It is slightly less painful sitting up than lying down.

White rabbits 🐇🐇
I’m here! I was wide awake around 2, but refused to do anything about it, so managed to doze until now. Me too, I’ve had my allotted 5 hours.
I have been trying to miss out on my postprandial nap, but to no avail.

4 am and here I am I was very bored last night so came to bed early about 10,30 so I ve had my allotted 5 hours and here we are anyone else up or is everyone snoring ?

Had a good night by my standards 12 till 4 quick toilet visit and back to snooze till 6
Off to watch a grandson in the park run He’s a pretty nippy runner both short and long distance also very long he’s doing an ultra iron man in the summer !!
Weather looks dry ish at the moment it’s been raining in the night and the wind doesn’t look too strong

Thank you GrandMattie for the comment on pillows.

Had a dreadful night on Thursday when I wanted to be bright eyed and bushy tailed for a meeting with an old friend. Then last night I had a reasonable night. It’s not fair. ☹️

I slept straight through from 10-5.30. No complaints from me. My brain behaved itself and switched off urine production. Why only sometimes does this happen?

I’ve been awake since 2 am. Grrr 😡
Just given up and made my first cuppa.
My bladder is well behaved; I drink lots in the day, but very, very rarely anything after 6 pm. DH started that, I’ve carried on after he died. Wee-ing is very occasional in the night,it’s my brain that lets me down. Loads of colourful dreams more and more bizarre wake me up. If after 3-ish, I have no chance of sleeping any more.
I hope you are all tucked up an£ gently snoring!💤

After years of insomnia, I've discovered Magesium Citrate tablets which, if taken during the evening, do seem to help. I never go to bed much before midnight, so after reading awhile (and then looking at Gransnet), I tune into 'Boring (or Calm) History for sleep on YouTube. It needs to be the ad free sessions - impossible to drop off when the ads suddenly intrude, which rather defeats the purpose!

My brain doesn’t know this!

JamesandJon33

My brain has never heard that one. Three times last night .

I can go most of the day without needing a wee. But at night I wake up constantly for one. It’s exhausting.

My brain's memory comes and goes!

My brain has never heard that one. Three times last night .

Googled it and found this

Oh that might explain it for me too Avaline because some nights I don’t get up till early morning 5 ish for a wee .
This last year or two I ve become very easy going about sleep or non sleep, it doesn’t seem to make any difference to me in the day, what energy I have and it makes no difference to me nodding off in front of the tv either. 🙄

Well I should never have made my last post. I've jinxed it. Awake for hours last night and three loo trips.
Incidentally, I was wondering why I sometimes lasted all night without a wee and other times had to go several times. Then I read that in deep sleep urine production reduces. Interesting. Not sure if it's true but would explain a lot.