Wakefulness at Night: Is This a Problem?
Getting a good night’s rest is a necessity to be wakeful during the daytime, however getting deep, uninterrupted sleep still remains a challenge for most people.
While some people can fall asleep until daylight as soon as their head touches the pillow, others have difficulty getting back to sleep once they awaken in the middle of the morning. Not being able to fall back asleep causes anxiety and frustration for most, as this is often misdiagnosed as some type of insomnia.
An insomniac will have trouble going back to sleep, while others that awaken for an hour or two will fall back to sleep once they feel lethargic again.
The latest research from sleep experts and scientists now reveal that this broken sleep pattern is not uncommon, and in fact was typical for individuals to sleep in intervals in medieval times.
When streetlights became commonplace around the 19th century in Europe, broken sleep patterns became unconventional since artificial light prevents the brain from producing hormones that cause us to fall back asleep.
If you have broken sleep patterns at night, you shouldn’t feel bad about being wakeful at night. Intermittent sleep can be considered normal and even beneficial for those that are productive.
Why 8-Hours of Solid Sleep May Be Unnecessary
8-hour sleeping blocks are expected in today’s society as we schedule and plan the rest of our lives around the time needed for rest in the bedroom, however, there are 3 different sleep patterns.
Resting for a single sleep period is known as monophasic sleep, while sleep divided into two periods within 24 hours is known as biphasic sleep. Sleeping multiple time during the day is referred to as a polyphasic sleep pattern.
Switching from monophasic to biphasic or polyphasic sleep scheduled seems to be the choice of preference for most. Polyphasic sleep patterns gravitate towards those looking to maximize their productivity during the day.
If you’re trying to stay up at night for exams, complete a project, or getting late night errands done, having frequent naps throughout the day can be a reasonable way to rest without completely crashing from fatigue. The downside to this sleep pattern would be the inconvenience to others living with you while you’re working late at night.
The majority of society will continue to sleep in solid sleeping schedules, but you don’t necessarily have to if you’re a night owl or just can’t fall back to sleep as easily as others.
The Wrap Up
Sleep doesn’t have to be in one solid period as there are 3 different sleeping patterns (monophasic, biphasic, and polyphasic) that be done to feel well rested during the day. Trying to sleep for a solid 8 hours may cause anxiety and frustration for some, as frequently these individuals misdiagnose their wakefulness for insomnia. If you’re wakeful at night, an hour or two may serve you well for being productive and completing tasks that need to get done during the day.
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