(This case was first published on research.no).
Not getting enough sleep can have major consequences for health. We have been told many times and several studies find this.
But what is enough sleep?
It turns out that the answer to it may be more about culture than we have thought.
Because there is not a universal standard for how long it is good to sleep.
In some countries, people sleep shorter and consider it ideal. In other countries, people sleep longer and believe it is the right thing.
But do people have poorer health in countries where they sleep on average than in other countries? The researchers behind a new study would find out.
Should adjust advice on eight hours of sleep
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The researchers have compared sleep and health data for over 5,000 people from 20 countries.
They measured how long people slept on average and linked this to data for various national health goals such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes and life expectancy.
In short, they found out that people in countries where they sleep shorter did not have worse health.
“Based on our findings, perhaps the advice to get eight hours of sleep must be adjusted in line with cultural norms,” says Professor Steven Heine of the University of British Columbia in Canada.
He is one of the researchers behind the study.
-There is no one-size-fits all amount of sleep that works for everyone, says Heine.
These sleep most and least
It is in East Asia that people generally get the least sleep. The Japanese sleep at least – on average 6 hours and 18 minutes.
Country in Oceania and Western Europe sleep the longest. In France, the average was 7 hours and 52 minutes. In Canada it was 7 hours and 27 minutes.
The researchers also found that what is considered the optimum amount of sleep varies between countries.
And those who had the best health – it was those who slept almost as long as the cultural ideal in their country.
“This indicates that the ideal amount of sleep is the one that matches what is considered the optimal amount of sleep in the culture where you live,” says Christine Ou, one of the other researchers behind the study.
The researchers also found that most people actually slept an hour less than what was considered optimal for their culture.
And the study confirmed the previous research also found, namely that sleeping too little or too much is related to poorer health.
They slept at least in Japan, and mostly in France. Foto: UBC Media Relations
– We should have less guidelines on sleep
– In my view, this is a very interesting, important and fun study.
That’s what brain scientist and professor Kristine Beate Walhovd says.
She herself was on the theme of an article published in Nature last year, where she criticizes experimental sleep studies for not taking in that sleep needs are flexible and influenced by, for example, culture.
– This new study clearly shows that there is not one optimal sleep length for everyone, says Walhovd.
Maybe it means that we should not have so many guidelines when it comes to sleep, says the professor.
– When you clearly see that people perceive themselves as healthier when they do not behave like a cultural norm, and you know that sleep needs are so individual, you can try to have less guidelines on sleep, says Walhovd.
– We should not ignore the fact that it can simply abolish some of the problem related to sleep and health.
Enjoy being awake!
Walhovd points out one of the study. Namely, the countries where they slept shorter had a lower incidence of obesity compared to countries where they slept longer. The researchers behind the study call found curiously.
Sleep needs are dynamic and adapt to culture, the environment, physical and psychological factors, writes Professor Kristine B. Walhovd in an article on sleep research from last year. Photo: Svein Milde/UiO
– This is an important finding from the study, which unfortunately is a little under -communicated, says Walhovd.
– The only health outcome found consistently related to sleep length across land is that longer sleep is associated with a higher incidence of obesity.
This should be a powerful warning against encouraging people to sleep longer than necessary, according to Walhovd.
“You should rather start spending your time on more sensible things than worrying about sleep and sleeping away,” says the professor.
– People should rather enjoy being awake. That’s when you get things done.
