Study reveals how much sleep each country really gets – how do you compare?

Sleep. What is it good for? A whole host of reasons, really, and they're all to do with your health. But how does your sleep pattern measure up against the rest of your country? A new study has revealed the average amount of sleep people get in different nations across the world, with some getting a lot less shuteye than others... (Picture: Getty)

According to a study of 50,000 people in 20 countries, France has the longest sleepers at 7 hours and 52 minutes a night, and at the bottom is Japan, who in comparison rest for just six hours and 17 minutes. It means that those in Japan get around 40 hours less sleep a month. So, does this difference have any health implications? (Picture: PNAS)

Surprisingly, no. The researchers found that countries where people got less sleep weren't any less healthy. This challenges the idea that common belief that everyone needs the same amount of sleep to function. And it also confirms that average sleep time can vary widely from country to country (Picture: Getty)

Dr. Steven Heine, professor of social and cultural psychology at UBC and senior author, said: ‘Despite the common advice to get eight hours of sleep, our findings suggest that sleep recommendations need to be adjusted based on cultural norms. There is no one-size-fits-all amount of sleep that works for everyone’ (Picture: Getty)

Usually, studies find links between shorter sleep and poor health outcomes. This research also found that in all 20 countries, people appeared to be sleeping at least one hour less than what was considered optimal for their culture. The researchers suggest that public health guidelines should be changed to fit the cultural norms of different populations to promote better health (Picture: Getty)

Dr. Christine Ou, assistant professor in the school of nursing at University of Victoria and the study’s lead author, said: ‘People who slept closer to their own culture’s norms for sleep duration tended to have better overall health. This suggests that the ideal amount of sleep is the amount that matches what is considered appropriate sleep in one’s cultural context’ (Picture: Getty)

Circadian rhythms are responsible for waking our bodies in the morning and making sure we get a good night’s sleep. It is essentially a 24-hour internal clock in our brain that regulates cycles of alertness and sleepiness by responding to light changes in our environment. It plays a vital part in our ability to sleep, and how we manage to stay awake the rest of the time. As the Sun sets, the brain begins producing melatonin and our core body temperature also drops. Then as the Sun rises, melatonin production stops and body temperature rises, which wakes us up (Picture: Getty)