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Perth Now
3 days ago
- Health
- Perth Now
Sleep recommendations should be based on countries' norms
The amount of sleep should be determined by countries' norms. Researches from the University of Victoria and the University of British Columbia, in Canada, say poeple should sleep the recommended amount of hours that has been recommended in their country. The team's study - which involved 5,000 people, who completed an online questionnaire in 20 different countries acorss North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Africa - saw them analyse if life expectancy, rates of heart disease, obesity and diabetes were linked to how much sleep someone gets. The experts' results showed there was a variation in how many hours of sleep the volunteers get across the 20 countries - with the French getting the longest amount of sleep (seven hours and 52 minutes), and the Japanese getting the shortest amount of kip (six hours and 18 minutes). As a result, the psychologists found no evidence that people in countries who sleep less compared to those in other places where people sleep more had worse health. Doctor Christine Ou, lead author and an assistant professor at Victoria's School of Nursing, told BBC Science Focus: "Sleep is shaped by more than just biology – it's influenced by culture, work schedules, climate, light exposure, social norms and other factors. 'What's considered 'enough' sleep in one country might feel too much or not enough in another.' Keele University sleep psychologist Doctor Daljinder Chalmers - who was not involved in the study - said there is "no evidence" to back the claim that people should sleep for eight or more hours. She told BBC Science Focus: "Sleep is really complex, and there's no evidence to support the idea that we should all sleep for eight hours per day. 'Our study found that people tend to be healthier when their sleep aligns with what's typical in their culture. 'Recognising cultural context can help people focus on what actually supports their health, rather than chasing a fixed number. 'When you're looking at sleep and health, you need to consider culture.'
Tom's Guide
13-05-2025
- Health
- Tom's Guide
How much sleep do I need? It depends on where you live, says new study
How much sleep you need may depend on where you live, says new research published in May 2025. While eight hours has long been perceived as the gold-standard sleep time, the new findings suggest there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to the amount of sleep we need to perform well and feel good. The study by researchers at the University of British Columbia assessed the sleep habits and health outcomes of 5,000 people from different continents including Europe, Asia, Africa, North America and South America. While those residing in Japan got an average of six hours and (don't panic, sleep gurus, the survey showed their health is perfectly fine), the French are longer snoozers, clocking an average just short of eight hours a night. What's interesting about the findings is that, despite some countries sleeping significantly less than eight hours, which has long been taken as the gold-standard sleep time, there was no evidence of them being less healthy. This highlights just how important it is for professionals to take cultural context into account when penning national sleep advice. Let's take a closer look... The researchers gathered and analysed sleep data and health outcomes from nearly 5,000 people across 20 countries worldwide. A sample of 250 people from each country were surveyed about their sleep duration, current health and memory performance. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. The findings published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) revealed that the hours of sleep required for good health varies significantly across different cultures. "Despite the common advice to get eight hours of sleep, our findings suggest that sleep recommendations need to be adjusted based on cultural norms," says Dr. Steven Heine, professor of social and cultural psychology at the University of British Columbia and senior author of the study. While you may assume people from countries with short sleep durations have worse health outcomes, the study found no correlation between less sleep and negative health in shorter-sleeping nations. Instead, "People who slept closer to their own culture's norms for sleep duration tended to have better overall health," explains Dr. Christine Ou, assistant professor in the school of nursing at University of Victoria and the study's lead author. Moreover, the researchers also discovered that in all 20 countries involved in the study, people appeared to be sleeping at least one hour less than what was considered optimal for their culture, which rings alarm bells. The average sleep time and sleep needs for optimal health differs from country to country. For example, the average in Japan was six hours and 18 minutes, while in France it was seven hours and 52 minutes. Canada sits in between where people sleep an average of seven hours and 27 minutes. Brits sleep longer than Americans, with average sleep times of just over seven and a half hours and just over seven hours respectively. Here's a breakdown of the average sleep duration in each of the 20 countries surveyed: Where you live is not the only influence on how many ZZZs you should clock for optimal health. Your age, genetics and lifestyle each play a part too. Here's why... Our age determines how much sleep we need and your sleep needs will change as you move through life stages. To support development, babies and toddlers need between 11 and 16 hours of sleep per 24-hour day. This is often broken into naps and overnight sleep. Unfortunately, there's not the same excuse for afternoon napping in adulthood. Children aged three to five generally need 10 to 13 hours, and six to 12-year-olds need between nine and 12 hours. Teenagers need eight to 10 hours. Adults need seven to nine, and by the time you hit 60, this reduces to seven to eight hours. Our genetics also have a part to play in our sleep patterns and determine whether we are snoozers, night owls or morning larks. Research published in 2019 identified a specific gene that only people who need less than six and a half hours of sleep a night to feel well rested had. Family members who inherited one copy of this gene had a shortened sleep cycle. Generally, people with active lifestyles need more sleep than those who spend most their time sedentary to make sure their muscles repair between intense physical exertions. Athletes tend to need more sleep to make sure they recover between intense workouts and adapt to training. Hence, a lot of time in sports training blocks are spent sleeping. But it's not all about quantity. Despite the new study's focus on sleep duration, long standing research shows sleep quality is more important than quantity. What do we mean by sleep quality? Good quality sleep is when you move through continuous sleep cycles undisturbed, spending ample time in each essential sleep stage so you wake up restored with energy. So, instead of stressing about the time you spend snoozing, implement these tips to improve the quality of your rest. Investing in your sleep space is key to bagging comfortable, undisturbed sleep. A reliable mattress is the main factor here. Choosing the best mattress for you means finding a bed that supports your sleep style and body type and accommodates your specific sleep needs. For example, you may need a mattress with targeted back pain relief or one designed to support side sleeping. Next you'll want to kit your bed out with comfy bedding including the best pillow for your sleep position and a comforter that will keep you cosy but cool. There is a close link between temperature and your circadian rhythm (aka your internal body clock). Your body temperature naturally drops as you prepare to sleep, signalling your brain to release the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin. Therefore, keeping your bedroom cool, and sleeping on a top-rated cooling mattress if you get particularly hot when you sleep, helps you fall asleep fast and sleep well through the night. Improving your sleep hygiene involves a combination of literal hygiene measures like maintaining a clean, dust-free sleep space as well as lifestyle choices like limited screentime before bed and managing your caffeine intake during the day. Keeping your bedroom clean ensures you're not disturbed by skin irritations or bouts of coughing and sneezing caused by dust and allergies hiding in your sheets. Experts also recommend keeping blue-light screens out of bed for better quality sleep and cutting off stimulants like caffeine in the early afternoon so the alertness-enhancing effect wears off by bedtime.
Time of India
09-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Do you sleep too little or too much? Forget eight-hour rule, new study reveals it may depend on where you live
How Much Sleep Is 'Normal' Where You Are? Country-wise average sleep duration according to the study. The Sleep-Health Sweet Spot Varies—And So Should Our Advice You Might Also Like: Can poor sleep age your brain faster? New study reveals shocking link to shrinking grey matter Why You Probably Sleep Less Than You Should? What This Means for You—and Why You Should Rethink Sleep Guilt The Bigger Picture: Sleep as a Cultural Mirror If you've ever wondered whether your six hours of sleep are too few—or if your nine-hour snoozes are too indulgent—science has a surprising answer: it depends on where you live. A groundbreaking international study from the University of British Columbia (UBC) suggests that the so-called 'golden rule' of eight hours of sleep might be more myth than on data from nearly 5,000 people across 20 countries, the study challenges the long-standing belief that a universal amount of sleep is key to good health. Instead, it finds that what counts as "healthy sleep" varies significantly between cultures—and that our sleep needs may be best measured not against a clock, but against our community Japan, the average person sleeps just six hours and 18 minutes a night. Cross over to France, and that average jumps to seven hours and 52 minutes. Canadians? They sit somewhere in between, with seven hours and 27 minutes of rest. These findings may sound startling, but more importantly, they are not linked to declining health in countries where people sleep fact, researchers found no indication that people from shorter-sleeping nations are unhealthier than their longer-sleeping counterparts. The implication is profound: the quantity of sleep may matter less than how closely it aligns with what's considered 'normal' in your own society.'We've long been told to aim for eight hours, but that recommendation might not be right for everyone,' said Dr. Steven Heine, professor of social and cultural psychology at UBC and senior author of the study, which was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 'There is no one-size-fits-all amount of sleep that works for everyone.'The key takeaway? Individuals who slept closer to their culture's average tended to enjoy better overall health, regardless of whether they hit or missed the eight-hour mark. In other words, harmony with cultural expectations might be more vital to your well-being than any fixed hour count.'People who matched their culture's norms for sleep duration were generally healthier,' explained Dr. Christine Ou, assistant professor at the University of Victoria and lead author of the study. 'It suggests that the 'right' amount of sleep may be the one that feels natural within your social setting.'Perhaps the most intriguing (and sobering) finding was this: across all 20 countries studied, people were sleeping at least one hour less than what was considered optimal within their own cultural context. Whether in bustling Tokyo or laid-back Paris, modern life appears to be shaving hours off our nightly revelation adds urgency to the ongoing conversation around sleep and wellness, especially as digital lifestyles, work schedules, and societal pressures make restful nights harder to come by. It's not just about logging more hours—it's about reconnecting with what your culture considers restful and healthy should someone in Tokyo worry that they're not getting as much sleep as someone in Toronto? Not necessarily. This research suggests that as long as your sleep habits are relatively in sync with what's common in your country, you're likely doing fine. It also means that using foreign benchmarks to judge your sleep could cause unnecessary stress or findings encourage a more compassionate, contextual understanding of sleep. Public health messages that ignore cultural norms may be not only ineffective but also damaging. One person's 'too little' could be another person's 'just right'—and that's health, sleep is also a mirror of our social fabric—shaped by work routines, family structures, social values, and even national histories. This study reminds us that sleep isn't just biological; it's deeply science continues to peel back the layers of human sleep, one thing becomes clear: we need to rethink rigid advice and instead embrace a more nuanced, empathetic approach to how we rest. In doing so, we may just sleep a little easier—without the weight of unrealistic tonight, before you judge your sleep by a universal number, ask yourself instead: Am I sleeping in rhythm with my culture? Because your healthiest rest might be closer than you think—measured not in hours, but in harmony.
