It is generally thought that a continuous eight hours of sleep is the best for feeling refreshed, however, this may not suit everyone’s internal clock. About a third of the population have difficulty sleeping throughout the night. For some, two shorter periods of sleep are more natural and may better suit their body clocks and increase alertness.
Going to bed for a continuous 8 hours is a modern invention. Waking up in the night used to be the norm. During the waking period, people would relax or engage in activities like reading by the light of the moon, sex, hand sewing, and chopping wood.
Two 4-hour periods of sleep—called bi-phasic sleeping—may be more natural for some people than one 8-hour period of sleep—called mono-phasic sleeping. Unfortunately, today’s society makes it difficult to be more flexible with our sleep/wake schedules.
Comments: To successfully maintain a split sleep schedule. it is imperative that you get the timing right. You want to commence sleep when there is a strong drive for sleep in order to fall asleep quickly and maintain the sleep.
