Sleep research links screen time to insomnia and challenges eight-hour rule

A study involving 40,000 Norwegian students has linked increased screen time before bed to a higher risk of insomnia. Findings indicate that each additional hour of screen use increases the risk of insomnia by 59%, with blue light exposure potentially reducing average sleep duration by 24 minutes per night by suppressing melatonin production.

In a separate scientific review, researchers are challenging the conventional eight-hour sleep rule. By analyzing data from hunter-gatherer societies—including the Hadza in Tanzania, the San in Namibia, and the Tsimane in Bolivia—researchers found that these groups sleep between 6.4 and 7.1 hours per night.

Lead author Dr. Seithikurippu R. Pandi-Perumal suggests that the focus should shift from total sleep duration to the regularity and timing of sleep cycles. The research indicates that modern industrial life has primarily disrupted natural circadian rhythms through artificial light and social obligations rather than simply reducing the amount of sleep humans require.