In developed societies, people sleep 45 minutes longer than in less technologically advanced countries, averaging more than 7 hours a night. However, this improvement in sleep quality comes at a price: disruption of natural biological rhythms.
This was reported by the Financial Times ,, and UNN.
These findings refute the notion that technology addiction has caused the sleep deprivation epidemic, but confirm that health can be negatively affected by factors such as lack of natural light and the use of screens that emit blue light.
The study is part of a broader research initiative aimed at exploring how urban living and insomnia can lead to fatigue, depression, and various physical illnesses, including obesity and cancer. These findings call into question the simplistic explanation of the “insomnia epidemic” that some scholars attribute to modern living conditions in the 21st century.
The idea that sleep has deteriorated due to modern lifestyles has been popular for more than a decade... However, our research shows a much more complex picture. Sleep in advanced economies is indeed better than in less developed societies, but it comes at a price - disruption to our delicate circadian mechanisms
The study examined the underlying factors that cause sleep problems, which are estimated to affect more than 90 million people in the United States alone. The researchers analyzed metadata from studies conducted from 1967 to 2022 in 21 countries, including both industrialized and non-industrialized societies.
According to the study, people in developed countries sleep 45 minutes more per night, averaging just over seven hours. In addition, their “sleep efficiency” (the ratio of time in bed to time actually sleeping) is 14% higher.
However, when studying circadian rhythms - physical, mental and behavioral changes in a 24-hour cycle - scientists discovered a different fact.
The results showed a “significant negative relationship between industrial lifestyle and deterioration of circadian functions.
Earlier studies have shown that circadian rhythm disruption has a harmful effect on health, in particular, it can lead to inflammation and reduce the production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep.
Circadian dysfunction is also associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, cardiovascular disease in night shift workers, and mental health problems.
One of the explanations for these results is better sleeping conditions in developed countries: comfortable mattresses, air conditioning, but also greater exposure to artificial light, both from streetlights and smartphone screens, which disrupts circadian rhythms.
Samson emphasized that technology should retain its role in improving sleep quality, but at the same time, it is important to synchronize our biological clocks with the natural world.
One way to improve synchronization with natural cycles is to use “biomimicry.” For example, you can use bright light in the morning or adjust the room temperature so that it gradually rises with the sunrise.
The “interesting and thoughtful” study offers new insights into how “the homes of the future can better support circadian health,” said Malcolm von Schantz, professor of chronobiology at the University of Northumbria.
The windows in modern airplanes can be darkened or brightened at the touch of a button... Will the windows of the future be able to automatically let in blue light in the morning, even before we wake up?
Recall
UNN wrote that the average person needs 7-9 hoursof sleep, but it is important to note that sleep is not measured by duration, but by effectiveness.