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The timeline of the Industrial Revolution is usu- a very significant invention for us: the light bulb. source of light, providing light during the day and hours, and working hours demand more of our energy
ally given as 1750 to 1914, but it began earlier and The invention of the light bulb by Thomas Edison darkness at night. The moon also played a role in and alertness. Modern living has changed the way we
ended later in different countries. In Britain, for ex- in 1879 disrupted sleep patterns and changed the way lighting up the night sky. view the concepts of night, day, and sleep.
ample, the first industrial factories were built in the people worked, as artificial light paved the way for the Stars were also important to early humans. They And in the midst of all this, there is one drink
18th century, while in the United States the Industri- development of the 24-hour society. were used for navigation and helped people to under- that has become the unofficial beverage of modern
al Revolution began in the 19th century. Factories now could operate at night and working stand the passage of time. The changing positions of living: coffee.
In the early stages, it was all about the small- hours also increased. Before, people had worked ac- the stars in the sky also helped people to predict sea-
scale production of goods and textiles. Then, with the cording to the light of the sun and the seasons. Now, sonal changes and the weather. One Drink to Rule Them All
development of the steam engine by James Watt with the invention of artificial lighting, they could The fire was another important source of light
during the late 18th century, factories could be pow- work at any time of day or night. for early humans. Fire provided light and warmth and The industrial revolution brought about a change
ered by coal, which made them much bigger and more This shift in working hours had a big impact on was used for cooking and as a signal to other people. in the way people related to the natural world. Many
efficient. sleep patterns. People were no longer able to stick to Today, artificial light is everywhere. It is used to people were forced to work in dark, cramped factories
As factories grew, so did the cities where they their naturally segmented sleep pattern and instead light up homes and workplaces and light up public with fewer job options available. This type of work was
were located. The industrial revolution saw a shift from adopted a monophasic sleep pattern, where they slept spaces such as streets and parks. We have managed to often repetitive and monotonous, and workers were
production at the household and village level to fac- for one long block of time. extend the day by artificially lighting up the night. expected to be available for long hours.
tory production. This shift meant that workers were One of the most common light sources for us is our This way of life meant that people’s schedules
compensated for specific activities within certain time Let There be Artificial Light phones and other electronic devices. were no longer dictated by the natural world, but by
frames rather than for the product they produced. But all this has come at a cost. Too much artificial the demands of the industry. This change had a pro-
People moved from the countryside to work in Humans have always had a close relationship with light can disrupt our natural body clocks and make it found effect on the way people lived and worked. The
factories, resulting in a massive increase in the urban light and dark. In the days before artificial light was difficult to get a good night’s sleep. way people’s schedules became dictated by the emer-
population. And while all this was taking place, a man invented, people relied on natural light to see their At the same time, we are not where we were a gence of shift work and the need for efficiency in the
named Thomas Edison was working on what was to be way around the world. The sun was the most important century ago. Social structures, industrialization, school industry changed the way people interact with time.

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