Series: 12 Weird Nights
Episode: 2 of 12
Theme: Sleep, human history, circadian rhythms, cultural practices, and the forgotten midnight hour.

🧭 In This Episode:
• The Forgotten World of First and Second Sleep
How segmented sleep was a normal, documented pattern for hundreds of years and why waking at midnight wasn’t considered insomnia at all.
• What Happened During the Midnight “Watch”
Prayer, reflection, letters written by candlelight, quiet chores, dreaming, storytelling, and intimacy, the rich life that unfolded in the hour between sleeps.
• How Artificial Light and the Industrial Revolution Erased a Rhythm
The shift from ancient biphasic sleep to the modern 8-hour block, and how productivity culture reshaped our nights.
• The Modern Siesta: When the World Still Sleeps Twice
Why some cultures still practice biphasic sleep and how biology actually supports it.
• Polyphasic Sleep Myths (Uberman, Dymaxion, etc.)
A fun breakdown of extreme “sleep hacking” schedules and why they’re not what people think.


🌒 Mentioned Concepts & References

• Segmented sleep research by Roger Ekirch
• The historical “first sleep” and “second sleep”
• Cultural practices around siesta and biphasic rhythms
• Human circadian dips and natural afternoon fatigue
• Modern experiments replicating pre-electricity sleep patterns
• Psychological implications of midnight wakefulness

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