New Delhi– A new study has revealed that sleep habits are strongly influenced by environmental factors such as the day of the week, season, and geographical location—not just personal lifestyle choices.
Conducted by researchers at Flinders University in South Australia, the study analyzed data from over 116,000 adults and more than 73 million nights of sleep using an under-mattress sleep tracking device over a span of 3.5 years, according to Xinhua news agency.
The research found that factors like daylight exposure, temperature variations, and weekday routines significantly affect how long and when people sleep. “Our findings underscore the seasonal nature of human sleep and its connection to demographics and geography,” said Hannah Scott, a sleep health expert at Flinders University.
For example, individuals in the Northern Hemisphere sleep 15 to 20 minutes longer during winter months, while those in the Southern Hemisphere tend to sleep less during the summer. The variation becomes more pronounced the farther a person lives from the equator, researchers noted.
The study also confirmed that people tend to sleep later and longer on weekends, especially middle-aged adults managing work and family responsibilities. However, these irregular patterns—often termed “social jet lag”—are linked to negative health outcomes.
A notable trend identified in the research was a gradual decline in average sleep duration over time. Between 2020 and 2023, people slept roughly 2.5 minutes less per night, potentially due to lingering disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Irregular sleep is more than just a matter of feeling tired—it can be a real health risk,” said Professor Danny Eckert of Flinders University. “Understanding how routines and environmental factors impact sleep can help people improve their overall well-being.”
Although the study focused on tech-savvy users and did not consider certain lifestyle factors such as co-sleeping with pets or partners, it strongly suggests that optimizing sleep requires attention not just to individual habits but also to broader environmental conditions like time of year and daily schedules. (Source: IANS)
