Sleep Like a Cave Man. Ancient Wisdom to Help Improve Nightly Sleep

As Merijn van de Laar explains in his book, a sleep scientist who once suffered from insomnia, nighttime wakefulness is far from a new phenomenon. Hundreds of thousands of years ago, when saber-toothed tigers posed the greatest threat to Homo sapiens, staying awake at night helped people protect themselves and their fellow tribesmen. Research shows that a fragmented sleep pattern gave our ancestors an evolutionary advantage. From their example, we can understand:

   • how to improve our sleep and thereby strengthen our health

   • why sleep patterns change with age

   • the benefits of co-sleeping

   • how important environmental factors like temperature and light are

   • what contributes to a full night’s sleep