Sleep is a universal practice, transcending time and culture. However, while we all engage in the practice, habits and timing vary throughout the world.

Although there is much diversity between cultures, we all share a few basic practices such as eating, sleeping and reproducing. However, there are key differences in how these essential biological activities are approached throughout the world. Understanding how sleep differs across different nationalities and cultural groups can help us understand the impact sleep can have on health and well-being.

Sleep Around the World

How does sleep vary around the world? Anthropologists have identified a few key differences. While most modern people sleep in one block, many cultures traditionally have slept in two shifts, separated by a short period of wakefulness. This is especially true in areas of the world where night is long much of the year, such as in the far northern or far southern latitudes. Co-sleeping is another variable. While Western people enjoy having their own bed, some cultures sleep as a family or even communally. In other cultures, there is no set time to sleep and people drift off whenever the urge arises.

Naps, Siestas and Inemuri

Friederich Nietsche once observed, “No small art is it to sleep; for its sake one must stay awake all day.” While modern Western cultures tend to view napping as laziness, there are many areas of the globe where napping is considered important to productivity and good health. Siestas are common not just in Spanish-speaking countries, but also in Greece, Africa and the Middle East. In fact, many areas of the world with a hot climate take a nap in the middle of the day.

While this may be done in part to avoid the blazing sun when it is at its hottest, warm places are not the only areas where napping is an encouraged practice. Inemuri, or “napping while present,” is a Japanese cultural phenomenon in which people will nap in meetings, at school or even on a street corner so they can increase productivity after their short slumber. In a nation where working or studying long hours is a sign of virtue and dedication, inemuri is an important way to catch up on sleep. While the jury is out on whether napping is good or bad for health, it is an important cultural practice in many areas of the globe.

Why is it Important to Understand Sleep?

Why do traditional cultural practices behind sleeping matter so much? In short, this is because modern people are just not as good as getting the rest we need as we used to be. Modern technology, especially artificial lighting, has brought with it an epidemic of sleep deprivation. Most people, regardless of culture, are not getting as much rest as they need for optimal health and mental function. This can be seen in smartphone usage, which is now so common that it can be used to track sleep-wake cycles in various nations.

Why aren’t modern people sleeping as well? There are a variety of theories. Artificial lighting and technology such as smartphones definitely make it harder to choose an early bedtime, but environmental effects also are an important factor. Light pollution is ubiquitous in the developed world; this light can affect our circadian rhythm and make it harder to develop healthy sleep habits.

Cultural sleep practices appear to be evolving as humans become less dependent on the environment and more dependent on technology. Despite the differences around the world, one fact remains salient: Getting enough sleep is essential to feeling well-rested and living a healthy life.