A new scientific study in neurology and sleep medicine has shown that widely accepted sleep duration recommendations do not apply to everyone and that individual biological needs must be taken into account…
Translated from the Turkish original by DoktorClub. The Turkish version is the reference text; this English translation has not been separately reviewed by a physician. Read the Turkish original.
A new scientific study in neurology and sleep medicine has shown that widely accepted sleep duration recommendations do not apply to everyone and that individual biological needs must be taken into account. According to the published study, the threshold for "insufficient or too short sleep" differs markedly from person to person; this shows that a single standard range of hours cannot apply to the whole population.
As part of the study, the sleep patterns, mental performance, and biological parameters of a large group of participants of different ages and lifestyles were followed over a long period. The data showed that some individuals could achieve full mental and physical recovery with 6 hours of sleep, while others needed at least 8 to 9 hours to achieve the same performance. Individual genetic background and biological rhythm (the circadian clock) were found to be the main determinants of this difference in sleep need.
Sleep specialists and neuroscientists point out that, instead of the hearsay "8-hour rule," people should listen to the alertness and focus signals their bodies give. When sleep duration falls below the personal threshold, decline in cognitive function, mood disorders, and chronic metabolic stress are triggered. However, the same duration can be entirely sufficient and healthy for another individual.
Scientists emphasize that the results open the era of personalized medicine in preventive health and sleep hygiene approaches. It is stated that determining sleep durations suited to the personal biological rhythm, instead of standard patterns, will be a much more effective strategy for preventing chronic fatigue, attention deficit, and cardiovascular risks.
