I just finished reading this article written by an insominac from Down Under which outlines a theory regarding our sleep expectations today. It boils down to the suggestion that the eight hours of restful sleep is as much a creation of commercial interests (bed manufacturers, drug makers, and other sleep aid and therapy commercial interests) as anything else, and that a poor night's sleep was not uncommon in human history.
Although I do not doubt that insomnia, at any level, was not unknown to ancient civilizations, I still believe that problems sleeping is just one of the many effects of the modern age (caused by such things as electric light, our many distractions and demands on our lives, stress, pressure, and so forth) and has indeed increased over time.
The point made in the article is certainly well-made, however, that those having problems getting a good night's sleep have to be very wary of the solutions offered out there as so many do not even deliver on a temporary deliverance to the land of a sound and restful sleep.
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