Regarding your article (Why do I wake up at 2 a.m. – and how to get back to sleep?, October 1), I too suffer from maintenance insomnia and used to spend the early hours ruminating about all sorts of real or imaginary worries. Then on-demand radio changed my life. Your brain just can’t process two things at once, and I now have a plethora of shows to choose from that hold my attention and keep anxiety from taking hold.
I still miss some sleep, but I enjoy the time I spend listening to all the shows I never have time to devote my attention to during the day. And I often leave halfway through the program without having to worry about finding my “page”, like with an audio book. It might be worth a try for others.
Gillian Greenfield
Haydon Bridge, Northumberland
Before artificial light became commonplace, split sleep patterns were normal for young adults. At times when it was necessary for some people to be awake and alert, teenagers would take watch early and go to bed late. The elderly fell asleep and got up early to take the third shift. Young adults occupied the middle position, waking after a few hours of sleep to keep watch in the middle of the night. They would then go back to sleep.
Real life is of course much more complex than that, but we still have natural biorhythms that change as we age. The answer is to follow your natural biorhythms rather than fighting against them.
Michael Peel
London
