Believe it or not, all cultures do not have the same idea about how to sleep or how often a person should sleep.  Although it is generally accepted in the United States that adults should receive eight to nine hours of continuous sleep each night, not all cultures feel the same way.

 

Artificial Versus Natural Light

 

According to researchers, the biggest cause of the cultural differences in sleep patterns is whether or not the culture has a great reliance on artificial light.  Researchers have found that cultures that do not have artificial light tend to have segmented sleeping patterns.  This appears to be due to the need to break up sleep into various watches so one person can ensure the safety of the group while the others sleep.

 

The invention of artificial light appears to have had a large impact on the sleeping patterns that people follow, since the artificial light makes it possible to remain awake and productive even during the night.  For those cultures that utilize artificial light, major changes took place in their sleep patterns when artificial light was developed.  In general, these cultures tend to sleep continuously through the night and to sleep until a later time in the morning.

 

Cultural Differences and Sleep Patterns

 

Researchers have also found that certain cultural differences appear to have an impact on sleep patterns.  For example, groups of people that tend to move around a great deal – referred to as nomads – and groups that engage in hunting-gathering tend to sleep at various times throughout the day and night rather than continuously throughout the night.  When these groups sleep is dependent upon what is taking place at the time.  The same is true of Mediterranean cultures, which routinely engage in short naps in the afternoons. 

 

Cultural Differences in Sleeping Partners

 

In the United States, it is common for person to share the same bed with his or her spouse or significant other.  This tradition is not shared throughout all cultures.  In some cultures, it is routine to sleep alone while other cultures routinely sleep with a number of different people in the same bed, even if they do not have an intimate relationship with those people.  In other cultures, sleeping with animals is more common.  This is particularly common in cultures where animals help to provide protection or fulfill other important duties. 

 

Culture Differences and Night Clothes

 

In the United States, there is no standard when it comes to what is worn while in bed.  In some cultures, however, there are specific societal expectations of what to wear – or what not to wear – when sleeping.  This may include wearing formal pajamas, wearing a nightshirt, wearing underwear, or simply sleeping in the nude.  Some also routinely wear the clothes they wore during the day when the go to sleep and change their clothes in the morning.

 

As the world slowly becomes more of a melting pot of cultural differences, the sleeping patterns, sleep clothing, and sleeping partners have started to become more standardized throughout the world.  This is particularly true in the United States where many different cultures have come together as one.