{"id":1462,"date":"2021-11-04T12:39:56","date_gmt":"2021-11-04T12:39:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.manchester.ac.uk\/sleeping-well\/?page_id=1462"},"modified":"2026-08-10T17:35:02","modified_gmt":"2026-08-10T16:35:02","slug":"project-findings","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.manchester.ac.uk\/sleeping-well\/home\/project-findings\/","title":{"rendered":"Project findings"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” fullwidth=”on” next_background_color=”#000000″ global_module=”322″][et_pb_fullwidth_menu global_parent=”322″ _builder_version=”3.0.106″ menu_id=”7″ submenu_direction=”downwards” fullwidth_menu=”off” background_layout=”dark” module_class=”main-navigation” \/][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”off” specialty=”off” transparent_background=”off” allow_player_pause=”off” inner_shadow=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” make_equal=”off” use_custom_gutter=”off” custom_padding=”0px||0px|” custom_css_main_element=”padding-top:0px” module_class=”header-image-section” prev_background_color=”#ffffff” next_background_color=”#ffffff”][et_pb_row allow_player_pause=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on” parallax_1=”off” parallax_method_1=”off” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” use_custom_gutter=”off” make_equal=”off” custom_margin=”||0px|” custom_padding=”||0px|” module_class=”header-image” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_size=”initial”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/sites.manchester.ac.uk\/sleeping-well\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/343\/2021\/11\/Our-Research-Banner.jpg” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” align=”left” always_center_on_mobile=”on” use_border_color=”off” force_fullwidth=”off” custom_margin=”0px|||” animation_direction=”left” show_bottom_space=”off” border_color_all=”#ffffff” _builder_version=”3.17.6″ \/][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”off” specialty=”off” transparent_background=”off” allow_player_pause=”off” inner_shadow=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” make_equal=”off” use_custom_gutter=”off” custom_padding=”||0px|” prev_background_color=”#ffffff” next_background_color=”#ffffff”][et_pb_row allow_player_pause=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on” parallax_1=”off” parallax_method_1=”off” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” use_custom_gutter=”off” make_equal=”off” custom_margin=”||0px|” custom_padding=”||0px|” module_class=”breadcrumbs-row” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_size=”initial”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Breadcrumbs (do not remove)” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” module_class=”breadcrumbs” custom_css_main_element=”border-bottom: 1px solid #ececed;” module_alignment=”left” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_size=”initial”]<\/p>\nSleeping Well<\/a><\/span><\/span>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”off” specialty=”on” transparent_background=”off” allow_player_pause=”off” inner_shadow=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on” parallax_1=”off” parallax_method_1=”off” parallax_2=”off” parallax_method_2=”off” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” make_equal=”off” use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”2″ prev_background_color=”#ffffff” next_background_color=”#1d1d1d”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_sidebar admin_label=”Left Nav Sidebar” area=”et_pb_widget_area_1″ orientation=”left” remove_border=”on” background_layout=”light” module_id=”left-nav-menu” show_border=”off” \/][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ specialty_columns=”2″][et_pb_row_inner admin_label=”Row”][et_pb_column_inner type=”4_4″ saved_specialty_column_type=”2_3″][et_pb_text background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” module_alignment=”left” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_size=”initial” _builder_version=”3.17.6″]<\/p>\n

Project findings<\/h1>\n

This project was the first to define and analyse sleep habits as historically-situated environmental practices.<\/p>\n

It investigated how and why communities in Britain, Ireland and England\u2019s emerging American colonies c.1500-1750 engaged with their physical surroundings in an effort to sleep well and safeguard their health.<\/p>\n

The project uncovered an environmentally informed culture of \u2018sleep care\u2019, its conceptual underpinnings, and its manifestation in a range of everyday \u2018sleep care\u2019 practices from the preparation of soporific tonics to the composition of bedding materials. The project also examined the relationship between human and animal sleep in the \u201cage of improvement\u201d in early modern agriculture. It demonstrated that \u2018sleeping well\u2019 involved much more than simply avoiding sleep disorders or coping with sleep loss.<\/p>\n

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Publications<\/h1>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_accordion _builder_version=”3.17.6″][et_pb_accordion_item _builder_version=”3.17.6″ title=”Sasha Handley and Holly Fletcher: ‘Sniff Your Way to a Good Night’s Sleep'”]<\/p>\n

Professor Sasha Handley and Dr Holly Fletcher argue in this History Workshop online article that those hoping to use scents to promote healthy sleep today, such as the #sleepmaxxing trend, are part of a long and rich historical tradition dating back to the early modern period. Read more here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_accordion_item][et_pb_accordion_item _builder_version=”3.17.6″ title=”Holly Fletcher and Sasha Handley: ‘Sleep, Scent, and Household Medical Care in Early Modern England'”]<\/p>\n

Dr Holly Fletcher and Professor Sasha Handley have traced how English householders sought to procure sleep in an open access article. Examining the botanical materials, methods and knowledge underpinning soporific recipes in manuscript and printed collections c.1500\u20131750, they identify olfactory manipulation as the principal strategy in homemade sleep therapies. Read more here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_accordion_item][et_pb_accordion_item _builder_version=”3.17.6″ title=”Holly Fletcher: ‘Making beds in early modern England: sleep, matter and environmental change'”]<\/p>\n

Dr Holly Fletcher has published an open access article arguing that sleep management in early modern England involved environmental practices in which bodies and matter were interwoven. She transforms our view of the sleeping conditions of the early modern poor and demonstrates the significance of place-specific, material knowledge for health care practices. Read more here.<\/a> <\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_accordion_item][et_pb_accordion_item _builder_version=”3.17.6″ title=”Leah Astbury: ‘Eat, Sleep, Lust, Repeat: Bedtime Routine, Health and Herbals in Early Modern England'”]<\/p>\n

Dr Leah Astbury has published an open access article exploring research from the project on how routines around sleep, sex, eating and drinking were deployed as domestic practices with medical, moral and social importance. Read more here.<\/a> <\/p>\n

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Interviews and media<\/h1>\n

Professor Sasha Handley has provided expert contributions to a wide range of media:\u00a0<\/p>\n