‘Two sleeps’ and devotional practices: a look at how people slept in the 17th century

By Dewi Alter, Lecturer in the Literature, Theory and Creativity Research Unit, Cardiff University

While sleep is a universal human experience, the way we do so has varied greatly across cultures, social classes and even time periods.

A 17th-century vicar’s poetry offers a surprising window into how people in Wales got their nightly rest. Born around 1579, Rhys Prichard began serving his hometown of Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, as a vicar in 1602. His verses, rich with details about nighttime experiences, offer fascinating clues about how people back then approached their sleep.

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