Get a good night's sleep

Being able to enjoy eight hours’ straight slumber is today seen as something of a superpower. But, as Justin Pollard reveals, attitudes to sleep and its medical importance have evolved over the centuries

- Justin Pollard

In our modern 24/7 world, it can sometimes seem as if we've finally finished the job Macbeth started, and murdered sleep. But surely the lazy days of history can provide some tips for enjoying a restful night of slumber? One advantage enjoyed by our ancestors was that nights were darker and quieter in the past. Even so, people did suffer from sleep problems. We know from Egyptian medical papyri that drugs extracted from the opium poppy, belladonna and nightshade were available, all of which could help with slumber - but also, if taken incautiously, cause a more final and permanent rest.

ANCIENT IDEAS

The ancient Greeks thought a lot about the subject, too. Hypnos, the god of sleep, makes his first known appearance in Book 14 of Homer's Iliad. Sleep also formed the basis of medical treatment at the temples of Asklepios. The sick were brought to sleep at these sites where, during the night, they would be treated with drugs by priests. Dreaming of Asklepios, patients would wake up cured. Or so the theory went.