Why did the ancient people have more creative

The beginning of the XIX century. Before the invention of "electric candle" for over 70 years. What did our ancestors after dark? That's right - went to bed.

Before the mass distribution of artificial lighting the average sleep duration was 12 hours a day (rather than our 8). Sleep was divided into two periods: 3-4 hours before midnight, a few waking hours, then eight more hours of sleep before the first sun rays.

Examining a bimodal sleep pattern, the researchers came to the conclusion that to wake up in the middle of the night is not only normal, but also very useful for the creative mind. In this article you will learn how our great-grandmother and slept prapradedushki and why sleep in two passes good for creativity.

Two-piece sleep

Historian, teacher of Virginia Polytechnic Institute Ekirh Roger (Roger Ekirch) believes that waking up in the middle of the night is absolutely normal and even good. For many years he explores how our ancestors slept, and even wrote a book about it At Day's Close: Night in Times Past.

Ekirh studied many judicial acts, personal diaries, literary works and other artifacts, I came to the conclusion that before the spread of artificial lighting people practicing the so-called two-piece sleep.

they usually went to bed at 9 or 10 pm. We slept 3, at most 3 hours after midnight to get up to do creative work. Then again lay and slept until dawn did not wake them.

The evidence leads Ekirh memories of an English doctor of the XVI century, who claimed that the birth rate the working class is much higher, as he woke up after the first stage of the two-part dream, people are actively engaged sex.

What did the intelligentsia? According to scientists, creative people between the "first" and "second" sleep usually something to write or read.

It was in the early nineteenth century, before the artificial light spread in industrial facilities and in people's homes. Now few people know what a real night. Incandescent lamps, computers, telephones - a world filled with artificial light, which attacks our eyes and deceive the biological clock, creating the illusion of "eternal day." This disorientation - involuntary consequence of technological innovation.

Scientists believe that we have forgotten how to properly awake, and at the same time to create. creative act - the "child" is properly rested brain.

Sleep and creativity

The recent launch of Podcast New Tech City It was dedicated to that technology, in particular artificial lighting, changed sleep. The guest of the program was a psychiatrist Thomas Wehr (Thomas Wehr) of the National Institutes of Health. He spoke about his study of the effects of light on human sleep.

In the experiment, attended by 15 participants. They lived for four weeks in a room without artificial light. Instead of our usual 16 hours of activity, volunteers were awake for 10 hours. The remaining 14 are carried out in a completely dark room. Scientists are trying to recreate the conditions in which our ancestors were living without electricity in the middle of winter (short days and long nights).

First experiment, participants simply slept. On average, they have regained about 17 hours of sleep, which took three weeks.

When in sleep deficitPeculiar to modern people, was filled, the fun began. Volunteers began to move to two-piece sleep.

As noted by participants in the experiment, night waking hours were accompanied by an unusual calm. People woke up several meditative state, which ended the phase of rapid eye movement (REM-sleep), characterized by high electrical brain activity.

Some said they felt crystal clear consciousness during the night waking, which was not there before them.

It's not like insomniaWhich is often the case these days. The subjects did not feel uncomfortable because their sleep is interrupted.

Night altered state almost disappeared from most of us, but it contains a powerful potential. It assimilates accumulated during the day information and emotions.

Put out the light!

Today, artificial light is like a drug. We are dependent on him.

Beyond the scientific laboratories found only one person who decided to give up power. His name is John. D. Moyer (J. D. Moyer). He was a few months with his family lived, without using artificial lighting.

I went to bed very early, about 20:30, then about half of the third night waking. At first it scared me. But then I remembered that people are so asleep at a time when the houses did not have electricity. In moments of night waking, which lasted about an hour or two, I read or wrote by candlelight. Then he went back to sleep.

At the same time George. D. Moyer did not set out to learn how to sleep two-piece. It happened by itself, as the dark hours prevailed.

By assumption, scholars, two-piece sleep is a protective mechanism of our ancestors. So it was easier to survive the long cold and boring winter evenings.

Nowadays, due to the ubiquitous artificial lighting is almost impossible to develop a two-piece sleep.

However, in the XXI century, when geeks brag that they can write code for days on end, where the burn at work, sacrificing sleep - a norm bimodal sleep seemed to hint: you may want to briefly hide in the bedroom, to clear your mind and give birth really creative idea.

What do you think of it? It is necessary and whether it is possible to practice the two-piece sleep tonight? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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