New Delhi, June 27 – A large-scale study has revealed that sleep patterns are strongly influenced by environmental factors such as the day of the week, season, and geographic location—not just by personal habits.
Conducted by researchers at Flinders University in South Australia, the study analyzed data from over 116,000 adults and tracked more than 73 million nights of sleep over a 3.5-year period using an under-mattress monitoring device, Xinhua news agency reported.
The findings highlight the significant role that daylight, temperature, and weekly routines play in shaping sleep. “Our findings underscore the seasonal nature of human sleep and how it's influenced by demographics and geography,” said Hannah Scott, a sleep health expert at Flinders University.
For instance, people in the Northern Hemisphere sleep 15 to 20 minutes longer during winter months, while those in the Southern Hemisphere tend to sleep less during summer. The study also found that individuals living farther from the equator experience more pronounced seasonal fluctuations in their sleep.
Weekend sleep patterns showed people going to bed later and sleeping longer to recover from weekday sleep loss, especially among middle-aged adults juggling work and family responsibilities.
These irregular sleep habits, the study notes, are increasingly associated with negative health outcomes. Published in the journal Sleep, the research also recorded a slow decline in average sleep duration—about 2.5 minutes less per night between 2020 and 2023—possibly reflecting lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Irregular sleep is more than just feeling tired—it can pose real health risks,” said Danny Eckert, co-author of the study. “Understanding how our environment and routines impact sleep is an important step toward improving it.”
While the study primarily involved tech-savvy participants and didn’t factor in variables such as co-sleeping with partners or pets, researchers emphasized the broader message: sleep is shaped by more than just lifestyle choices—timing and seasonal awareness also matter for better rest.
