Historical records from Europe, Africa, Asia and beyond describe how, after nightfall, families would go to bed early, then wake around midnight for a while before returning to sleep until dawn. Breaking the night into two parts probably changed how time felt.

Another major benefit of the practice: climate control. “Temperature preference when sleeping is highly individualized,” Conroy says. “For example, women experiencing menopausal hot flashes may also enjoy a cooler duvet. This method allows each person to sleep comfortably with their individual sleep needs met.”

Here’s why sufficient sleep matters, how much you really need and some evidence-based support for better rest.

While the Inspire HR is still a solid choice, the Inspire 3 has made upgrades when it comes to sensors, display, battery life, and more. Basically, if you want reliable sleep tracking without spending hundreds of dollars, the Fitbit Inspire 3 is tough to beat.

Don't let your next vacation or business trip disrupt your sleep quality. Here are seven expert-backed tips on how to get better sleep during travel.

In some of those cases, lucid dreaming should be practiced under the care of a qualified expert, Weiss says. She recommends working with a sleep specialist or therapist in order to help work through specific techniques, such as lucid dreaming therapy (LDT), which is used for people with post-traumatic stress disorder and frequent nightmares.

Everything’s a little off when you haven’t had any sleep: you can’t remember where you put your cell phone, your eyes burn, and even coffee is starting to taste like defeat. But beneath that groggy exhaustion,

Apple Watch Sleep Tracking has a new Sleep Score feature that gives you an overall number rating your sleep. It considers factors such as your sleep duration, wake-ups, awake time, and consistency of your bedtime over time. You can check your Sleep Score soon after you wake up.