Ashwin Lewis
Humans spend a third of their lives sleeping, but some researchers believe that this could change. Scientists have been studying how humans can evolve to need less sleep, and some claim that by 2055, humans will get by on only five hours of sleep a night. According to one study, humans now sleep more deeply, reach REM faster and waste less time on light sleep than primates. It is believed that this is due to humans feeling safer and more comfortable when sleeping on the ground, near fires, and eventually in beds. With the help of technology, it is likely that humans will continue to evolve in this way and need even less sleep in the future.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Humans spend one third of their lives sleeping | |
| Sleep researchers believe gadgets could reduce this | |
| Humans sleep more deeply than primates | |
| Humans reach REM faster than primates | |
| Humans waste less time on light sleep than primates | |
| Humans sleep more efficiently than primates | |
| Humans sleep less deeply when they can't block out their environment | |
| Humans have been sleeping less over time | In the 1970s, humans slept 7 to 8 hours a night, now it's 6 to 7 |
| Some scientists claim humans will get by on only 5 hours of sleep a night by 2055 |
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What You'll Learn
Humans have been sleeping less over time
This decrease in sleep is due to humans manipulating their environments to optimise sleep. For example, humans stopped sleeping in trees and moved onto the ground, where they slept near fires and eventually in beds. This made us feel cozier and safer, and we were able to sleep more deeply and reach REM sleep faster.
Technology has also played a role in reducing the amount of sleep we need. Gadgets and comfort-boosting technology can help us get the best, deepest sleep in the least amount of time. Sleep researcher David Samson suggests that by looking at the past, we can learn how to "cheat sleep" in the future.
Humans have been evolving to need less sleep for thousands of years, and this trend is likely to continue with the help of technology.
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Technology could help us sleep less
Humans now sleep more deeply, reach REM faster and waste less time on light sleep than primates. This is because humans stopped sleeping in trees and moved onto the ground, where they felt safer and cozier.
Duke University sleep researcher David Samson suggests that if you want to know how to sleep less in the future, you should look at the past. Humans have been mastering the skill of getting the best, deepest sleep in the least amount of time for thousands of years.
Some scientists claim that by 2055, humans will get by on only five hours of sleep a night. This is a decrease from the 1970s, when humans slept for 7 to 8 hours a night.
One way to lose sleep is by an inability to block out your environment.
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We sleep more deeply than primates
Humans spend a third of their lives sleeping, but some researchers believe that technology could reduce this. Scientists believe that we will be able to get by on less sleep in the future by optimising our sleep environment.
Humans sleep more deeply than primates. Over time, humans stopped sleeping in trees and moved onto the ground, eventually sleeping in beds where we feel safer. We now reach REM sleep faster and waste less time on light sleep than primates.
According to Duke University sleep researcher David Samson, humans have been mastering the skill of getting the best, deepest sleep in the least amount of time for thousands of years. Some scientists claim that by 2055, humans will only need five hours of sleep a night.
Total sleep time has been decreasing for years. In the 1970s, we slept for seven to eight hours a night, but now it's six to seven. If this trend continues, in the next 40 to 50 years, we could be sleeping for as little as five to six hours a night.
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We sleep less when we feel safer
Humans spend a third of their lives sleeping, but some sleep researchers believe that technology could reduce this. We could evolve to need less sleep by using comfort-boosting technology to optimise our sleep. The key is to get the best, deepest sleep in the least amount of time.
Humans have been manipulating their environments for hundreds of years, and we now sleep more deeply, reach REM faster, and waste less time on light sleep than primates. We moved from sleeping in trees to sleeping on the ground, near fires, and eventually in beds, where we feel cozier and safer with less fear of predators.
According to sleep researcher David Samson, if we want to know how to cheat sleep in the future, we should look at the past. Scientists believe it's possible to shrink the total hours of sleep each night by improving our sleep environment. For example, an inability to block out your environment is one of the ways to lose sleep.
Some scientists claim that by 2055, humans will get by on only five hours of sleep a night. Dasgupta, a researcher, agrees: "Total sleep time has been decreasing for years. In the 1970s, we slept 7 to 8 hours, presently it's 6 to 7. If you do a little math, in the next 40 to 50 years it could be 5 to 6 hours."
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Blocking out the environment helps us sleep more
Some scientists claim that humans will get by on only five hours of sleep a night by 2055. This is because humans have been manipulating their environments for hundreds of years, and technology could help us to continue to optimise our sleep.
Humans now sleep more deeply, reach REM faster and waste less time on light sleep than primates. This is because, over time, humans stopped sleeping in trees and moved onto the ground, where they felt safer and cozier with less fear of predators.
One way to lose sleep is by being unable to block out your environment. To block out the environment and sleep more, you can use comfort-boosting technology to optimise your sleep. This could include sleeping near fires, in beds, or using gadgets. The key is to get the best, deepest sleep in the least amount of time.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, according to some scientists, who claim that by 2055 we will only need five hours of sleep a night. This is because we have been manipulating our environments to optimise sleep.
Humans have been sleeping on the ground, near fires, and in beds, where we feel cozier and safer with less fear of predators. We now sleep more deeply, reach REM faster, and waste less time on light sleep than primates.
Scientists believe it’s possible to shrink your total hours of sleep each night by improving your sleep environment. One way to lose sleep is an inability to block out your environment.
