What is Bi-Phasic Sleeping?
Today’s generation is all about smartphones, tabs, and Xboxes. Prolonged use of gadgets, tedious work schedules, and commitments make us stay awake for long reducing our sleep time into almost half. But, did you know that in the ancient times, people used to follow bi-phasic sleeping? It is a sleeping pattern where instead of sleeping for 8 to 9 hours straight, one would sleep for a good 4 hours, wake up to do chores, and then go back to sleep until he wakes up in the dawn. This idea of split sleeping might seem new, but studies prove that this was the most practised sleeping pattern before the 17th century.
Benefits of Bi-Phasic Sleeping
The one or two hours of wakefulness in between the two sleeping cycles is said to be most beneficial and productive. It is said that people apparently used to read, chat, sew, or perform any other favorite pastime of theirs during this time. In a time where insomnia is prevalent, researchers say that this type of sleep pattern can do wonders in maintaining proper health.
The problem is insomnia and interrupted circadian rhythm is more common in people working in night shifts. Forcefully pushing one’s body and mind to stay awake during the night not only affects your physical health but also deteriorates mental peace to a great extent. Obesity, heart diseases, mental trauma, insomnia, and hypertension are highly common in people who work night shifts. Scientists believe that instead of a continuous 9-hour shift, several smaller shifts with intermediate sleeping hours could prove more productive. Employees would remain fresh, and active if such timings are followed, says studies.
Reasons Why One Should Sleep Better
Bi-phasic sleep needn’t necessarily be during the night. A midday nap, 3 to 4 hours of productive work followed by a good night-time’s sleep is also a great way to stay healthy. But, in the modern day’s world, most of us don’t have the luxury to take midday naps. One thing we could do is sleep early. There are many households who control their sleep to watch their favorite TV show or have late-night video calls to peeps in another time zone.
Following a bi-phasic sleep or split-sleep pattern might sound impractical in today’s age. But, with proper lifestyle routines, we can slowly move towards a healthier sleep and circadian cycle.
