Name: The Dutch method.
Age: Possibly in place since the Reformation, making it about 500 years old.
Appearance: Extremely open.
The Dutch method? It sounds like contraception. I suppose it could be, but that would be more of a fringe benefit. It is actually a suggested sleep strategy (and life philosophy).
A-ha, so what magical hack have the Netherlanders been keeping from us? Keeping the curtains open.
Eh? I thought it was better to sleep in a dark room for your circadian rhythm. Didn’t you tell me to shower in the dark for better sleep recently? Light at night can stop you releasing melatonin, which tells your body it’s bedtime. But we need sunlight in the daytime, especially in the morning. It helps our bodies set their biological clocks. A study last year found that getting sunlight before 10am improved sleep quality.
So we should keep our bedroom curtains open? That’s the suggestion. A sleep consultant told HuffPost: “If your blinds and curtains are open in the morning as you wake, this can have a positive impact on sleep.”
Ideally, someone needs to come into my bedroom discreetly before dawn and open the curtains. If you have a butler, that would be a perfect plan. That, or programmable electric blinds.
Sadly, I have neither. So Dutch people sleep with their curtains open? That’s between individual Netherlanders and their windows. But Dutch people definitely have a reputation for keeping curtains open in their living spaces, or not even having curtains.
Weird. Why? It’s often attributed to the Dutch adoption of Calvinism during the Reformation – the righteous have nothing to hide. When a Dutch YouTube channel asked local people why they kept the curtains open, lots said exactly that: “I have nothing to hide.”
Any other reasons? Yes: “I’m not big on privacy”; “We’ve grown up with it”; “I enjoy watching people”; “Staying connected with the world”; and, “I walk through our home in my underwear, no problem.”
Let’s draw a veil over the underwear. But the idea of being more connected is interesting. Yes, there is an idea it fosters community. As one man said: “It creates a more open and social atmosphere.” People said they waved to their neighbours.
You’ve lost me there – I’m feuding with mine after a bin incident. If my curtains are open and I see them, I hide behind the sofa. If you were Dutch, you would openly and calmly resolve your issues in a frank dialogue – having all had a good night’s sleep. They are notoriously direct: the Dutch concept of bespreekbaarheid means there are no taboo topics.
Not even the bin? Not even your neighbour’s choice of underwear.
Do say: “Opening the curtains could do wonders for your sleep and social life.”
Don’t say: “Until your neighbours catch you watching Heated Rivalry in your pants at 3pm on a Tuesday.”
