Sleep Across Time and Place

What does a good night of sleep mean for you? Many individuals across the USA, in places such as Birmingham, Huntsville, Nashville, Montgomery, or St. Louis might say that it’s a night of 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep on a memory foam mattress in a quiet room. Couples would likely say they need at least a queen-size bed to share, if not a king-size bed. Many American families in 2025 would say it means their children slept in their own rooms. Many couples would say a good night is when they share a bed. But consider that a good night may have meant something completely different in other times and places across America and may mean something completely different in other places now.

Historical Perspectives on Sleep

Dr. Rathmell and I took a tour of Missouri, Kansas, Minnesota, and South Dakota in 2022, visiting multiple homesites of Little House books author Laura Ingalls Wilder’s family. One thing that amazed us was the small beds, even for two adults. However, space in a cabin or dugout was very limited, and furniture was often built by hand. Winters were also dreadfully cold on the northern prairies, so sleeping very close to one’s spouse or siblings would have allowed for much-needed sharing of body heat. Laura’s Ma noted that their mattresses filled with goose feathers seemed “almost sinful.” Most of us wouldn’t think of sleeping on a mattress filled with straw today, but that was the more common bed type at the time.

Sleep Habits Through the Ages

I was recently re-reading one of the Outlander books and noted that travelers in an 18th-century Scottish inn were placed 6 to a bed, including strangers. In our travels today, we would be quite disturbed if a stranger (or multiple strangers!) arrived to share our hotel bed. However, this was common practice in the inns and taverns of 18th-century America and Europe, as travelers were placed in any available bed space. In fact, an article from history.com noted that anyone who complained of sharing a bed with strangers was considered “obnoxious and unreasonably fastidious.”

Changing Sleep Norms in Modern Times

As a child in the late 1980s, I dreamed of one day owning a waterbed, but these beds had largely fallen out of favor by my adulthood due to challenges with maintenance. While many American families prefer to have their children sleep in their own rooms, this is not the norm in many cultures. Even in Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia, I have known many families who enjoyed and valued co-sleeping with their children and sought best practices to safely co-sleep.

Cultural Variations in Sleeping Arrangements

In many countries across the world, it is quite typical for whole families to share a bed. Likewise, while many couples believe sharing a bed with each other to be the “right” way to sleep, this varies widely across cultures. Fans of shows like Downton Abbey and The Crown will know that noble and royal married couples often had separate bedrooms. Indeed, when my family visited the Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh last summer, we were able to see the separate bedrooms for Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip, each decorated to their own tastes.

How Sleep Needs Evolve Over a Lifetime

Consider also how our sleep needs and preferences may change over the course of our own lifetime and experiences. Prior to parenthood, I considered sleeping less than 7 hours to be a very poor night. But after newborn twins? I believe choirs of angels sang the first time I slept 4 hours uninterrupted.

The Impact of Culture on Sleep Patterns

With some exceptions, young children often go to bed early and rise early in the morning. I remember talking with other parents when my children were young, and everyone mentioned gulping coffee and trying to will themselves alert while their energetic young children were ready to play at 5:30 every Saturday morning. Even so, terms like “late” and “early” may mean different things across cultures. In Spain, it is a cultural norm to take an afternoon siesta, with dinner served much later than is typical in America. Thus, Spanish children may go to bed earlier than their parents but likely much later than American children.

Navigating Sleep Changes in Adolescence and Adulthood

In adolescence, the body clock shifts later, with teens struggling to fall asleep at their previous bedtimes. The same parents who once complained of their children rising at 5:30 now lament the inability to get their teenagers out of bed before noon. As we age into adulthood, and particularly middle age and later years, our body clock usually shifts earlier, and we prefer to fall asleep earlier and wake earlier.

Generational Differences in Sleep Preferences

I’ll admit to feeling a bit old recently when I learned that many young adults from Gen Z are no longer using top sheets on their beds. Then again, my great-grandparents would undoubtedly be disturbed that I don’t iron my sheets. Journals and letters from the 19th century and earlier also suggest that individuals used to fall asleep quite soon after dark but wake for an hour or two around 3am. They would go to the outhouse, converse with neighbors, maybe even steal a cow! They would return to sleep for a second shift after this awakening.

The Importance of Understanding Your Sleep Needs

Why does any of this matter? Well, if you’re Dr. Rathmell or me, you find it endlessly fascinating for its own sake. But if your eyes are glazing over, bear with me! We frequently tell ourselves stories about what our sleep “should” look like.

Reassessing Your Sleep Beliefs and Habits

Many people put extensive pressure on themselves to sleep a certain way, at a certain time, with or without certain people. But when we look at world history, our own personal history, and cultures across the world today, we see that there are very few firm “shoulds,” and we can rework patterns and habits that are not serving us.

Real-Life Examples of Sleep Transformation

I’ve worked with several couples who shared a bed for decades but found it was no longer working for them as they grew older and had increasing medical issues that woke them at night.

Seeking Help for Better Sleep

If you’re starting to wonder whether your rules for sleep make sense for you, give us a call at 205-983-4063 or book a free consult online! We would love to help you develop a sleep plan that serves your life.