What magic lies behind nursery rhymes, I simply cannot fathom. Even in my late fifties, I can still recite by heart most of the rhymes I learned as a child.
One poem my father often quoted when we were children was:
“Early to bed and early to rise,
Makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”
He belonged to the school of thought that subscribed to one simple belief: Going to bed and waking up at a fixed time were essential for a robust, disciplined life. Out of respect for his wishes, we certainly tried to follow a regular schedule. Whether following that rule in our childhood made us healthy, wealthy, or wise is another question altogether!
A belief passed down through generations
“Did you get those eight hours?” It’s an iconic question, instantly understood without needing to specify what it’s referring to. We’ve been conditioned to believe that sleeping for eight hours is both healthy and essential to being properly rested.
Often we have heard people whining about not being able to achieve that quota of 8 hours of sleep and feeling drained out and exhausted. Are all humans required to sleep that long, or is it simply a myth that found its way to us?
What research says
With increasing scientific research and historical evidence, it has come to light that the eight hours of sleep rule seems quite unnatural. It is not mandatory for most adults to sleep that long, and it is not a universal biological requirement.
Professor Roger Ekirch, who has extensively researched pre-industrial sleep patterns, has uncovered an interesting piece of information. Through his historical study of literary works, art, and personal diaries, he discovered that people would typically go to sleep soon after darkness fell and sleep for about four hours. They would then wake up and spend some time working or engaging in other activities before returning for a second sleep period of another four hours.
This biphasic sleep pattern was largely dictated by the natural cycle of nightfall and sunrise. However, as streets and homes began to benefit from artificial lighting, this practice gradually disappeared, allowing people to remain active long after sunset. The idea of eight hours of sleep, however, endured and eventually evolved into the concept of a single, uninterrupted sleep cycle.
The eight-hour rule has been called “industrial-era nonsense” by Harvard evolutionary biologist Daniel E. Lieberman. According to him, it is largely a legacy of the Industrial Revolution. Back then, factory owners began synchronizing work shifts and the famous labor movement slogan “Eight hours labor, eight hours recreation, eight hours rest” echoed through the streets.
Lieberman points out that field data from communities without electricity shows that a typical night for an individual consists of around six to seven hours of sleep.
How much sleep do we actually need?
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) debunks the old rule and emphasizes that while healthy adults need at least seven hours of sleep per night, the amount of sleep required varies from person to person.
Instead of obsessing over the eight-hour benchmark, the academy recommends maintaining a consistent sleep schedule and aiming for a total of seven to nine hours of sleep. There is little point in stressing over the eight-hour rule and causing yourself unnecessary anxiety.
Regularly getting less than seven hours of sleep has been linked to a range of health problems, including weight gain, obesity, hypertension, stroke, and depression. It can also impair immune function, increase sensitivity to pain, and negatively affect cognitive performance. A sleep-deprived person is less likely to perform their best at work and is at a greater risk of accidents.
The AASM also states that regularly sleeping for up to nine hours may be appropriate for young adults, people recovering from sleep deprivation, and individuals with certain medical conditions.
One size doesn’t fit all
What matters most is whether a person wakes up in the morning feeling hale and hearty or remains groggy and unrefreshed. So the sensible thing to do is to forget the obsession with clocking eight hours. The real goal is not to meet an arbitrary benchmark but rather to get the amount of sleep your body genuinely needs. Trust your body’s signals, for they are often more reliable than conventional wisdom. In the end, there is no universal magic number; there is only the number that is right for you!
rashmi writes 