From Tudor Slumber to Modern Nights: What History Reveals About Bedtime Prayers
By James H. Sterling
Historian A. Roger Ekirch uncovered evidence that until the late 19th century, Western sleep was overwhelmingly biphasic. Humans slept in two distinct intervals: "first sleep," beginning shortly after dusk, followed by a waking interval of roughly an hour around midnight, and then a "second sleep" lasting until dawn.
This middle interval, often termed "the watch," was never viewed as a medical failure. It was an accepted, productive period of quiet wakefulness. Monasteries formalized this midnight window through Matins and Vigils, while domestic householders leaned into bedside devotions. People prayed, meditated on nightly devotion scriptures, tended embers, or reflected on their dreams without the crushing anxiety that modern insomnia creates.
In contrast, 21st-century sleepers interpret waking at 1:30 a.m. as a catastrophe. Sleep anxiety and prayer historically held a symbiotic relationship: wakefulness was seen as an invitation to unload lingering guilt or worry before sliding into restorative second rest. Removing this middle-of-the-night acceptance has turned normal micro-arousals into full-blown panic attacks about tomorrow's productivity schedule.
James Sterling reports on renewable energy developments, climate policy, ecological conservation, and green tech innovations around the globe.
