Professor Malcolm von Schantz
Professor of Chronobiology, Northumbria University
Human sleep patterns vary between different communities across the globe. Temperature, safety fears, industrialisation and electric light can influence the quality and duration of sleep, which in turns influences our physical and mental health.
As a biologist, physiologist and Professor of Chronobiology, Malcolm von Schantz from Northumbria University in Newcastle, has focussed his research on sleep quality, timing and duration in various environments for the past decade.
Sleep is a human need
To have somewhere “safe, secure and comfortable to sleep,” he says, is a physiological human need, in the same way that no-one should go hungry or thirsty.
“There are parts of the world where people have to sleep in crowded conditions, in uncomfortable temperatures and may not have a bed. They may not feel safe at night and are aware of violence happening around them.”
We are not going to stop functioning, but sleep deprivation comes at a price.
Clear health link
There is a clear link between sleep and health, with most people on average needing seven to eight hours a night. Many people get less than that because of a variety of factors.
“As a species, we have the flexibility to function on less than optimum sleep,” says Professor von Schantz. “We are not going to stop functioning, but sleep deprivation comes at a price.” It affects cognitive function, the ability to work, function emotionally and can be associated with accidents.
Sleep deprivation also has health risks, particularly for conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular problems and there are consequences for mental health too, he adds.
Natural habitats
His research looking at the sleep patterns in different locations has included studies in Africa and Brazil. His group has observed how sleep habits are affected by the availability of artificial light but also by social and cultural factors. This includes a study in Mozambique comparing sleep in two villages, one of which had recently acquired electricity.
“Sleep duration did not decrease, but the timings of sleep changed in the village with electricity and artificial light,” says Professor von Schantz, who will address the World Sleep Symposium in mid-March in Rome on wellbeing and sleep in a session related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
