A significant study led by Hannah Scott from Flinders University has unveiled how environmental factors, including seasons and day of the week, affect sleep patterns. The research, co-authored by senior researcher Danny Eckert, analyzed sleep data from approximately 116,000 adults worldwide over 73 million nights, spanning from January 2020 to September 2023.
The unexpected results show that participants experienced greater disruption in sleep schedules during the holiday season between December and January. This trend happened in both hemispheres. This large-scale disruption underscores the importance of the relationship between sleep and the environment around us. Importantly, the most pronounced seasonal variation in sleep patterns was seen in those living farther from the equator.
Australians in Victoria and Tasmania felt the impact of seasonal changes even more acutely. By comparison, too, their colleagues in Queensland and the Northern Territory experienced these changes in much muffled ways. What Dr. Torian found in the study was the average person sleeps 15 to 20 minutes less in summer. They usually increase their sleep time by 20 to 35 minutes in winter.
During the three-year study period, participants indicated that they were getting an average of 2.5 fewer minutes of sleep per night. The researchers pointed out that the majority of individuals not only sleep in on weekends, but go to bed a minimum of 30 minutes later. This change reflects how our daily routines impact sleep significantly.
“Environmental factors play a big role in sleep patterns. Sleep patterns I would focus on, because it’s not just behavior. She emphasized that external factors such as daylight hours, temperature, and weekly routines profoundly influence the quality and quantity of sleep and overall wellbeing.
Danny Eckert articulated these feelings. He stressed that the study is a huge step forward on teasing out the effects of the environment on human sleep. He brought home the need to connect the study’s findings to big-picture public health outcomes. He continued, “This is a cautionary tale to be conscious of the clock, the calendar and even Mother Nature herself when we’re trying to get our beauty sleep.”
Eckert hopes this study is a much-needed alarm bell for public health officials. Lastly, it serves as an important reminder for people to recognize how outside factors can affect sleep health.
