How Much Sleep You Really Need Might Depend on Where You Live, New Study Says

If you’ve exhausted every effort when it comes to getting at least eight hours of sleep, where you live may offer an explanation. According to a new study conducted by the University of British Columbia and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the ideal amount of sleep differs from one country to another. Analyzing sleep data from 5,000 people in 20 different countries, researchers found that average hours of sleep significantly depends on geographical location and cultural differences—debunking the myth that adults within a specific age range need the same amount of sleep.

How Much Sleep Do You Need—and What Does Location Have to Do With It?

“There is no one-size-fits-all amount of sleep that works for everyone,” says Dr. Steven Heine, senior author of the study. The study confirmed that France, for example, had an average sleep cycle of seven hours and 52 minutes. In Japan, the average cycle was six hours and 18 minutes. Canada had a total of seven hours and 27 minutes of sleep. In the U.S., the average was around 7 hours.

Cultural context plays a significant role when it comes to how much sleep you need. Factors such as occupation, work-life balance, and day-to-day schedules all contribute to your ideal amount of shut-eye. “People who slept closer to their own culture’s norms for sleep duration tended to have better overall health,” says Dr. Christine Ou, the study’s lead author. “This suggests that the ideal amount of sleep is the amount that matches what is considered appropriate sleep in one’s cultural context.”

Researchers also found that for no identifiable reason, residents across all 20 countries slept at least one hour less than what’s considered optimal. However, there was no evidence that those who did sleep less than their proposed amount were less healthy than those who did—or those hailing from countries with a higher sleep average. So if you’re looking to improve your sleep patterns, consider the average number of hours people sleep in your country, then tailor that number according to your personal needs.