Research shows that most people still believe that healthy sleep equals unbroken sleep, yet the reality is, we are supposed to wake up multiple times a night as we weave in and out of sleep cycles, reports The Sydney Morning Herald.

“Most sleep is spent in light sleep, and we wake often just like other species,” she says. “This is most likely an evolutionary effect that enables us to check our environment, make sure we’re not in danger.”

However, the age of industrialisation (the 18th century) – followed by the eight-hour work, leisure and sleep mentality – irrevocably changed our sleep patterns.

Get the full story at smh.com.au