Harvard professor 'debunks myth' that you need eight hours of sleep every night

Dr Daniel Lieberman, a renowned professor from Harvard University's Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, claims that the widely accepted notion of needindg eight hours of sleep a a myth. He said that people actually fare better when they sleep for seven hours instead.
During a recent episode of the popular podcast Diary of a CEO, Lieberman challenged the long-standing belief in eight hours of sleep, stating, "This idea that you need eight hours of sleep has been around for a long time, basically since the industrial revolution."
He pointed out that populations without the modern distractions of manufactured light, such as electricity, phones, and televisions, have been shown to require less sleep. Drawing upon research conducted by colleagues in the field of evolutionary medicine, Lieberman highlighted the use of sensors on individuals who lack access to modern gadgets.
"When you put sensors on people who don't have electricity, TVs, phones, it turns out they sleep like six or seven hours a night, and they don't nap," he revealed. This contradicts the widely held belief that natural human beings inherently require a full eight hours of sleep.
Lieberman further suggested that limiting screen time could potentially reduce the amount of sleep needed in the long run. However, his recommendations align more closely with the lower end of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, which advise all Americans to aim for seven to nine hours of sleep each night.
The CDC also provides specific sleep duration recommendations for different age groups, suggesting that children aged six to 12 years need nine to 12 hours, while teenagers should aim for eight to ten hours.
The study indicated that deviating from this optimal duration, either by getting more or less sleep, was associated with cognitive difficulties, including memory problems, impaired learning ability, reduced focus, and decision-making challenges. Moreover, individuals not achieving the seven-hour threshold were more likely to exhibit symptoms of depression and anxiety.