Ian’s review of At Day's Close: A History of Nighttime > Likes and Comments

Hurrah! Your first LBC book done and dusted.

Really sounds fascinating, this one.

You know, I'm one of those 2 Sleeps people, just naturally. My regular sleep pattern is often to sleep for about 4 hours, wake for 2 or 3, then sleep again another 4. Not every night, but quite often. Imagine my surprise when I read in a historic novel a few years back that that was once normal! Suddenly didn't feel so strange. 😅

Berengaria wrote: "Hurrah! Your first LBC book done and dusted.

Really sounds fascinating, this one.

You know, I'm one of those 2 Sleeps people, just naturally. My regular sleep pattern is often to sleep for about..."

How interesting that you are a Two-sleeps person! You are following the rhythms of your ancestors there Berengaria!

The author blames artificial lighting for disrupting the traditional pattern of human sleep. I expect he's right. He knows more about it than I do! I can't help wondering whether the availability of things like late night TV, computer games etc might also contribute. Modern people often go to bed later than people did in the past.

Interesting review, Ian. I’m a two-sleep kind of person too. Just having breakfast now.
Thank you.

I might have become a two-sleep person, Ian, and henceforth will regard it more positively!
The Mayor of Casterbridge does feature a "Skimmity Ride" (I'm not sure about the spelling!). Thank you for a most interesting review.

I can believe that the majority of us living in the UK haven't seen the Milky Way in all its splendour Ian. I live south of you across the Firth and only far, far away from the city lights can I see it properly:(

Celeste wrote: "Interesting review, Ian. I’m a two-sleep kind of person too. Just having breakfast now.
Thank you."

That sounds very civilised Celeste.

Glad you found the review to be useful.

J.C. wrote: "I might have become a two-sleep person, Ian, and henceforth will regard it more positively!
The Mayor of Casterbridge does feature a "Skimmity Ride" (I'm not sure about the spelling!). Thank you fo..."

All you Goodreads ladies who are two-sleep people! I can imagine you now all writing GR reviews at 2am!

I long to be a two-sleep person, I think my body is starting to go that route. Unfortunately, with work and other demands it's just not possible right now. Maybe when I retire...

Ian wrote: "Celeste wrote: "Interesting review, Ian. I’m a two-sleep kind of person too. Just having breakfast now.
Thank you."

That sounds very civilised Celeste.

Glad you found the review to be useful."

Thank you, Ian.

I don’t really keep regular hours these days — I’m between jobs at the moment. I often end up having breakfast late on a terrace — it’s one of the nicest things about Portuguese autumns.

Pamela wrote: "I long to be a two-sleep person, I think my body is starting to go that route. Unfortunately, with work and other demands it's just not possible right now. Maybe when I retire..."

I'm something of a morning person. Apparently you are one or you aren't, it's not really a question of choice. I wouldn't be surprised if sleeping right through the night is linked to being an early-ish riser.

Celeste wrote: "Ian wrote: "Celeste wrote: "Interesting review, Ian. I’m a two-sleep kind of person too. Just having breakfast now.
Thank you."

That sounds very civilised Celeste.

Glad you found the review to b..."

Envy is an unattractive emotion, but... I am envious Celeste!

The climate in NW Scotland is not conducive to outdoor dining! Also in summer we are plagued by hordes of biting insects.

This post is not sponsored by the Scottish Tourist Board...

Sounds fascinating. I am also a fan of social history.

Brilliant review Ian- you really made it sound intriguing and had me thinking over things we did as youngsters that are no longer being done.

I’m more of a no-sleep person. Can’t skimity switchity the old brain off. Not fully but I envy those who can sleep at will. And congratulations on the LBC read.

Linda wrote: "Sounds fascinating. I am also a fan of social history."

This is quite a long book, 443 pages without the notes, but I found it an easy read. It only took me a week to rattle through it. The format of largely quoting from other accounts made it undemanding.

Paul wrote: "Brilliant review Ian- you really made it sound intriguing and had me thinking over things we did as youngsters that are no longer being done."

Thanks very much Paul! There's some interesting stuff in the book, for sure.

Sportyrod wrote: "I’m more of a no-sleep person. Can’t skimity switchity the old brain off. Not fully but I envy those who can sleep at will. And congratulations on the LBC read."

Thanks Rod.

Insomnia must be a heck of a difficult thing to deal with. I've only suffered from it on rare occasions, usually when something has been particularly troubling me. I found those occasions bad enough.

Fascinating review - I love how you highlighted the forgotten rituals and customs tied to the night. The “two sleeps” concept really stuck with me too.

Taufiq wrote: "Fascinating review - I love how you highlighted the forgotten rituals and customs tied to the night. The “two sleeps” concept really stuck with me too."

Thanks very much Taufiq!

This is an outstanding review, Ian, you really did a magnificent job with it in my opinion. I have been meaning to read this book & haven't quite gotten around to it just yet.

As an aside, there was 90-minute documentary in 2010 on the History Channel Vault, called Afraid of the Dark, that is based on this book. It focuses on nighttime customs & the historical significance of the dark in different regions of the world, but mostly in the United Kingdom, & there are also interviews with A. Roger Ekirch & other historians that are very interesting.

Andrew wrote: "This is an outstanding review, Ian, you really did a magnificent job with it in my opinion. I have been meaning to read this book & haven't quite gotten around to it just yet.

As an aside, there ..."

Thank you very much Andrew! I think you will find this book a quick read.

Also thanks for the tipoff about the TV documentary. I'll try and look it out.

Fabulous review for a fascinating book, Ian. My recent insomnia pattern has forced me into a "two sleeps" slumber period. I'm usually awake, but stay in bed reading, between 1:30am and 3:30am. I've also learned not to fight something my body wants to do but that I don't want to do (and vice versa!), so I make a nice cup of herbal tea and just "go with it." Have been geting a lot more reading done, too.
Congrats on completing your first LB in the C 🤸🏼!

Valerie Book Valkyrie wrote: "Fabulous review for a fascinating book, Ian. My recent insomnia pattern has forced me into a "two sleeps" slumber period. I'm usually awake, but stay in bed reading, between 1:30am and 3:30am. I've..."

Thank you very much Valerie!

The sleep pattern you describe seems very similar to the "two sleeps" described in the book, as practised by many Europeans in the past. People would wake at midnight or soon after, get up, light their pipe for a smoke, quietly converse with anyone else in the household that was awake, etc.

I do wonder whether this was more common in summertime, when the nights were lighter and, perhaps more importantly, warmer. Houses in pre-modern times would have been pretty cold on a winter's night. I feel people might not have been all that keen to get out of bed in such circumstances.

Looks like a fascinating read. Thanks for an illuminating review of this nighttime history. It never ceases to amaze me how much times haved changed in just a couple of centuries. I'm putting this one on my TBR.

Maarten wrote: "Looks like a fascinating read. Thanks for an illuminating review of this nighttime history. It never ceases to amaze me how much times haved changed in just a couple of centuries. I'm putting this ..."

Thank you Maarten! I hope you enjoy it.

I'm still waking up after four or five hours but don't mind any more! You have worked wonders with that ring of positivity from the 'dark ages', Ian!

After spending a few nights in the Flinders Ranges of South Australia recently, I can say without hesitation that the night sky there, untouched by light pollution, was more wondrous than anything I’ve ever seen.

J.C. wrote: "I'm still waking up after four or five hours but don't mind any more! You have worked wonders with that ring of positivity from the 'dark ages', Ian!"

As long as you are getting enough sleep in total Jeanne!