- Eight hours of sleep nightly is not a universal requirement for adults, new research shows
- Pre-industrial sleep patterns were flexible and shorter, averaging 5.7 to 7.1 hours per night
- Modern factors like artificial light disrupt natural sleep timing and affect health negatively
An eight-hour sleep schedule every night for adults is considered essential for optimal health, which apparently is not the case right now. Recent research suggests it is time to restructure our brains when it comes to understanding our sleep cycle. A new review published in Brain Medicine highlights that the eight-hour rule is overly simplistic and that the correct duration might differ from person to person.
"Human sleep patterns in pre-industrial societies exhibit substantial flexibility, suggesting that contemporary norms of consolidated nocturnal sleep are not evolutionarily fixed," the authors wrote in the review.
"Industrialisation, electrification, and urbanisation have profoundly altered human sleep timing, duration, and regularity, primarily through disruption of natural light-dark cycles."
"Modern societal factors, including artificial illumination and night shift work, contribute to chronic circadian misalignment with measurable consequences for physiological and mental health."
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The authors have cited different studies to establish their findings. Quoting a study published in Current Biology, which found that people in Tanzania, Namibia and Bolivia slept for between 5.7 and 7.1 hours a night.
"The short nights also seemed to be enough: People did not make up for them with long daytime naps. Without an alarm clock, they tended to wake close to dawn, regardless of the day of the week," the outlet noted.
As mentioned by The Conversation, the Royal Society Publishing estimated that people slept an average of 6.4 hours per night in preindustrial societies. Meanwhile, modern sleep patterns are "delayed relative to the natural light-dark cycle".
As per the outlets, "Most of us do not wake naturally before dawn. Many of us have short sleep during the working week and longer catch-up sleep on work-free days."
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Another study published in Nature used brain and body scans, along with molecular measures, to examine how sleep relates to the ageing of different organs. It estimated that the ideal amount of sleep is between 6.4 and 7.8 hours, depending on the individual's sex and the specific organ observed.
The review also mentions a Nature study, highlighting that a person needs between 6.4 and 7.8 hours of sleep; however, it depends on their sex and the specific organ.
As per The Conversation, "The eight-hour rule is clearly too simple. People need different amounts of sleep, and when we sleep matters too."
While total hours get the most attention, researchers emphasise that sleep consistency and timing are equally critical.
Going to sleep and waking up around the same time each day aligns with the body's natural circadian rhythm.
Catching up on missed sleep over the weekend can help mitigate short-term exhaustion, but maintaining a regular schedule throughout the week remains the best approach for overall well-being.
