The amount of sleep needed for optimal health may vary depending on where you live, according to a new study conducted by researchers at the University of British Columbia. Analyzing sleep data and health outcomes from nearly 5,000 individuals across 20 countries, the researchers found significant differences in the recommended hours of sleep required for good health, challenging the notion that everyone needs the same amount of sleep.
Dr. Steven Heine, a professor of social and cultural psychology at UBC and the senior author of the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, highlighted the importance of adjusting sleep recommendations based on cultural norms. While the common advice is to aim for eight hours of sleep, the research suggests that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to sleep duration.
The study revealed varying average sleep times across different countries. For instance, participants in Japan slept an average of six hours and 18 minutes, while those in France slept around seven hours and 52 minutes. In Canada, the average sleep duration was seven hours and 27 minutes.
Contrary to previous studies linking shorter sleep durations to poor health outcomes, this collaboration between UBC and the University of Victoria found no evidence that individuals in countries with less sleep were less healthy than those in longer-sleeping nations.
Lead author Dr. Christine Ou, an assistant professor in the school of nursing at UVic, emphasized that people who slept in alignment with their cultural norms tended to have better overall health. This suggests that the ideal amount of sleep is the one that aligns with what is considered appropriate within one’s cultural context.
Interestingly, the researchers observed that individuals in all 20 countries were sleeping at least one hour less than what was deemed optimal for their respective cultures. This highlights the importance of considering cultural context when making recommendations about sleep and underscores the need to tailor public health guidelines to fit the cultural norms of different populations for better health outcomes.
The data for the study was collected from individuals in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America, providing a diverse representation of sleep patterns and health outcomes across different regions.
Overall, the research sheds light on the variability of sleep needs across cultures and emphasizes the significance of cultural context in determining the appropriate amount of sleep for individuals. By acknowledging and incorporating cultural norms into sleep recommendations, public health initiatives can better promote optimal health outcomes for diverse populations.
For more information, the study titled “Healthy sleep durations appear to vary across cultures” can be accessed in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The research was conducted in collaboration between the University of British Columbia and the University of Victoria.
This article was provided by the University of British Columbia. For more information about the university, visit their website at www.ubc.ca.
