The belief that people in industrialized societies suffer from a lack of sleep has been debunked by a recent study conducted by anthropologists at the University of Toronto Mississauga. In fact, the study found that people in modern industrialized societies actually tend to sleep longer than those in less-industrialized societies.
Published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the study conducted by David Ryan Samson and Leela McKinnon involved a meta-analysis of data from 54 sleep studies around the world, involving 866 healthy adults. The researchers discovered that people living a hunter-gatherer lifestyle slept an average of 5.5 hours a night, while those in non-industrialized societies slept around 6.4 hours. In contrast, individuals in modern industrialized countries slept over 7 hours each night.
Interestingly, the study also revealed that people in industrialized countries are more efficient sleepers, spending 88% of their time in bed asleep compared to 74% in less industrialized countries. However, individuals in industrialized societies exhibited less regular circadian rhythms, with a lower circadian function index compared to non-industrialized societies. This inconsistency in circadian rhythms may be attributed to the lack of natural cues that help regulate sleep patterns in industrialized societies.
The researchers suggest that the perceived poor sleep in industrialized societies may be linked to these irregular circadian rhythms. The study provides valuable insights into the sleep patterns of different societies and challenges the common notion that modern life inhibits sleep.
For more information, the study titled “Are humans facing a sleep epidemic or enlightenment? Large-scale, industrial societies exhibit long, efficient sleep yet weak circadian function” can be found in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. The findings shed light on the sleep habits of individuals in industrialized societies and their impact on circadian rhythms.
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Industrialized societies get more sleep but have less regular circadian rhythms than hunter-gatherers, new study finds (2025, February 26)
Retrieved 26 February 2025 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-02-industrialized-societies-regular-circadian-rhythms.html
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