Archive · 2 Jul 2025
Study Finds Environment, Not Just Habits, Shapes Sleep
A new study looked at how sleep works and found that it's not just about what you do, but also where you live and what time of year it is.
Researchers tracked the sleep of over 116,000 people.
They found that people sleep longer in the winter in the Northern Hemisphere and less in the summer in the Southern Hemisphere.
People also sleep differently on weekends.
The study also noted a slight decrease in sleep time from 2020 to 2023, which could be related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Understanding how our surroundings affect sleep is important for staying healthy.
Study shows sleep patterns are influenced by environment, not just personal habits.
Data from over 116,000 adults and 73 million nights of sleep was used in the study.
People sleep longer in winter in the Northern Hemisphere and less in summer in the Southern Hemisphere.
Weekends see later bedtimes and longer sleep, particularly for middle-aged adults.
Irregular sleep patterns are linked to negative health effects, with sleep duration declining from 2020 to 2023.
- Who
- Researchers from Flinders University studied over 116,000 adults.
- What
- A study on sleep patterns and environmental influences.
- When
- Data collected over 3.5 years, from 2020 to 2023.
- Where
- The study was conducted by researchers at Flinders University in South Australia, with participants across various geographic locations.
- Why
- To understand how environmental factors and routines affect human sleep patterns.
- Lead University
- Flinders University (South Australia)
- Data Source
- Over 73 million nights of sleep data
- Main Finding
- Sleep influenced by environment, demographics, and routines
- Seasonal Variation
- Greater in those farther from the equator
- Sleep Duration Decline
- Approx. 2.5 minutes less per night from 2020 to 2023