InstaSleep Reviews Team article notes:
- For much of recorded history, humans have actually slept eight hours, but in two distinct phases of approximately four hours each. As scholar Roger Ekirch uncovered through his exhaustive historical study of literature, art, and diaries.
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The “biphasic sleep” pattern, which was governed by the natural timing of nightfall and sunrise, didn’t last in the modern era. As artificially illuminating the night sky became more affordable, life—and soon sleep habits—changed.
Why Do Humans Sleep in 8-Hour Cycles?
Get your eight hours. A command so familiar it feels timeless: humans just need their eight hours of sleep. It’s natural. But our past sleep schedules challenge the idea that anything, even our biological needs, truly transcends historical boundaries. For much of recorded history, humans have actually slept eight hours, but in two distinct phases of approximately four hours each.
This article was selected by the InstaSleep Reviews Team. Please enjoy this read and learn about why humans sleep in 8-hour cycles, and what history has to say about the way our sleep patterns have changed through the ages.