Research Suggests Bi-Modal Sleep Schedules May Be Healthier

Should people be striving to sleep in one continuous, unbroken chunk of time? A large number of people (a third of the population) have trouble sleeping. Insomnia is an increasingly common problem. This includes both falling asleep and staying asleep through the night. Interestingly enough, Anthropologists have found that having a set bedtime was not always the norm, and in fact, sleep was once determined around one's activities, and segmented into two sleeping periods. 

This method of sleeping fell out of favor in the 17th century, with an increasingly wealthier population, and was replaced with the one continuous sleep schedule that we are accustomed to today. When the shift in this sleep cycle occurred, we can see that interestingly, sleep insomnia started to become more prevalent in literature.

So the big question is, should we go back to having two sleep cycles? Laboratory research suggests that biologically speaking, bi-modal sleeping might not be a bad idea.

Have you ever felt your alertness wane after lunch, struggling to stay awake, your activity level dipping? Mid-afternoon naps have proven health benefits, and instinctively, humans prefer a two-phase sleep pattern, but the timing has to be just right. It would be tough to have the flexibility to sleep whenever you felt tired. People have work, family, and other obligations, so it makes sense to have one longer (7-9 hours) period of sleep.

However, if a split sleep schedule can be achieved, research suggests that people do benefit from increased wakefulness, creativity, memory, and overall productivity and health. And some industries are paying attention to this research, allowing employees more sleep opportunities and shorter schedules. 

Night shift work is especially problematic because it often requires employees to be alert for up to 12 continuous hours, and it also adversely affects a person's circadian rhythm, causing them to be awake when their body feels it should be asleep. Some jobs that require night shift work have already started limiting shift hours. This means that employees do not have to remain alert for more than six to eight hours. However, given the nature of night shift work though, there are still dangers in terms of employee safety since start times are often very early in the morning, and a person's natural sleep cycle may still be adversely affected.

The take away is that one continuous sleep cycle may not work for everyone. If you are having trouble sleeping, or are having trouble staying alert during the day, it might be a good idea to try a bi-modal sleep schedule, especially if you have a bit of flexibility in your schedule. Try sleeping for smaller chunks of time and see if it benefits you.