Some people need more sleep than others

Question

Time states how the amount of sleep required to get by their day can depend on person to person with different health and genetic factors contributing to people's sleep. The article also features suggestions for better sleep under "A few sleep hacks" where it also mentions easing on drugs and alcohol intake, having variety in your day, and noticing your natural sleep cycle.

Answer 1

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/oversleeping-bad-for-your-health#:~:text=Sleep%20needs%20can%20vary%20from,or%20medical%20problem%2C%20Gamaldo%20says.

Some studies are showing that this statement is true based on the weight of ones self is usually the case. Heavier set people tend to use up and need more energy throughout the day which leads to the need for more rest and sleep than a lighter person may need. 

Comments

There is a common average but your source clearly states that there isn't a universal amount of sleep a person needs. In the source from Hopkins Medicine, it states "Sleep needs can vary from person to person, experts recommend ... 7 to 9 hours per night of shuteye."

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Hi Jack, this is a great comment. After reviewing the sources you provided, it states your claim is true that ""Sleep needs can vary from person to person." What made you choose Hopkins Medicine as your source over other available sources?

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You mentioned that this was "some studies" making that statement, and I wonder if you saw others making counterarguments? This seems to be a pretty big generalization so I wonder how other studies might take individual differences more into account.

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This was a really good comment, however it suffers quite a bit from the fact that your claim in Hopkins medicine goes directly against what your claim is by stating there needs to be a threshold of sleep for people to fufill, such as the example they provide of 7 to 9 hours.

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I feel like the source and the statement do not match up enough here, to me the article seems to be more of a PSA about healthy sleeping habits and causes for bad sleep, rather than something like a study on weight and sleep needs.

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While you linked a credible source, I do think the vague language in your fact check such as "some studies" makes your line of reasoning seem weaker. In addition, the article you linked doesn't actually say that much about how some people may need different amounts of sleep, or even check anything about what the original TIME article said at all. I think taking the time to find a more directly relevant source may help your future fact checks.

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It is good that you searched for other sources to check this claim. However, the source that you linked doesn't out right say that heavier set people use up and need more energy. It merely says that obesity is a health problem that is associated with oversleeping. Make sure that you link the correct source for this claim. It is also important to acknowledge that this source mentions many other health problems that are associated with oversleeping that you did not mention.

Answer 2

The main claim in the Time article is that the recommended amounts of sleep for certain age groups are not necessarily universal, and several factors impact how much sleep an individual might need. The article cited studies from the American Sociological Review, the American Sleep Foundation, the Cleveland Clinic, and Mayo Clinic to back up their claims on what factors impact how much sleep people need. All their sources backed up claims made in the Time article. The National Institutes of Health and Harvard Sleep medicine have also both published articles saying that sleep needs vary from person to person.

https://sleep.hms.harvard.edu/education-training/public-education/sleep-and-health-education-program/sleep-health-education-80

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/gene-identified-people-who-need-little-sleep#:~:text=The%20amount%20of%20sleep%20you,physical%20and%20mental%20health%20problems.

Comments

I agree with your claim and the sources that you used help support your claim. Since the circadian rhythm varies from individuals.

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You did a great job of fact checking the citations the article made. The legitamacy of these sources (many national foundations/honorable societies) adds to the claim. Did you do any research on the specific factors that cause the impact of sleep to vary? I was able to find claims in the Harvard Genetics of Sleeps Article that solidified the claims. It surrounded the idea that circadian rhythms differ among individuals according not only to genes, but also mutations in these genes. After learning that the source, Harvard sleep medicine, is one of the premier research programs in circadian rhythm, I find the claims to be quite trustable.

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I wonder if you might expand on the "some factors" you mentioned hat impact the amount of sleep one needs, according the Time.

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I agree with your claims as there are many factors that determine the amount of sleep a person may need. Lifestyle, circadian rhythm, and age are all examples of factors that determine a persons optimal sleep schedule. I like how you listed the trusted sources you used to come to this conclusion.

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Choosing the same source, I like how you chose to pick how the actual recommended amount of sleep, thought true for the most part, is not actually how much sleep is required for a person to function on a day to day basis. Harvard Education is always a great site to reference.

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Hey I agree with your claim. According to your source, it states that every individual functions differently which can be caused by your circadian rhythm.

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I appreciate your use of reliable sources to fact check this statement. I agree with your point that numerous factor are taken into consideration when determining how much sleep a person needs. I do reccommend mentioning some specific factors that affect the amount of sleep needed

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I agree with this claim, and I think the Harvard article is very beneficial in backing it. Every person's health is in a different place, and there are countless factors that go into how much sleep a person needs. A good comparison is that not everyone eats the same amount of food as well, but there are still recommended daily calorie intakes

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This is a great response you found the original study and checked its authenticity. I think it would be stronger if you expanded more on the claims made in the article as well though.

Answer 3

The claim made in this article that some people need more sleep than others seems to be completely valid, as all the content referenced can be traced back to an original and reliable source.

The article referenced a 2013 study from the American Sociological Review that provides a detailed experiment of the difference in sleeping patterns between men and women complete with data tables and an analysis, showing that on average, men report 496 minutes per night whereas women report 508.

The article also references a claim from the Cleveland Clinic  which can also be traced back to its original source, claiming that “roughly, 1 in 3 adults worldwide have insomnia symptoms, and about 10% of adults meet the criteria for insomnia disorder.”

Additionally, this article references a study done by Dan Gartenberg, who has a PhD in cognitive psychology from George Mason University and 15+ years of experience in sleep research and technology(linkedin). The study talks about the many different factors, especially light exposure, that can affect our circadian rhythms and therefore our sleep schedule.

The final and perhaps most significant made in the Time article is from a study at UCSF, which thoroughly explains the science behind the mutation that some people have in their genes that contributes to sleep regulation and makes some people what they refer to as “short sleepers.” 

In addition to the confirmation and validity of the sources this Time article referenced, its author, Jeffrey Kluger, is a well known editor at Time, as well as the author of 12 books such as Apollo 13(time.com). The article is also very recent, being released only earlier this month, so its information is up to date. When looking for similar information in other articles, I came across an article from the NIH itself, which directly referenced the UCSF study as well, proving even more validity. This Time article does a thoughtful and thorough job of answering the question presented in the headline, and backs it up with many credible and valid sources.

Comments

Great job on a thoroughly researched fact-check. I like that you dove deep into the info provided into the article and found multiple different sources, many of which including more studies into the claim about how much sleep people need. And that you researched into the author of the original article and showed their credibility. Great job!

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This is an in-depth and well-researched response. The Times article makes me wonder what the evolutionary purpose of lower sleep regulation might be? Another topic also brought to mind is what the effect of our current environment has on individuals need to sleep (for example, wether people with hyperactivity consistently have worse sleep regulation than those without).

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Thank you for linking your sources where you cited them, because it made it very easy to check the claims made in your answer. Very thorough response!

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A large factor in my research is similar to what you have researched as well from other sources saying that for the most part, women do need more sleep than men. Small differences referenced in both my and your sources suggest that things like menstruation cycle and pregnancy can put a huge burden on the energy someone may have and therefor can lead to a longer sleep schedule.

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I thought that your claim was extremely thorough and well thought out. I liked how you linked the 3 different sources making them easily accessible and organized. The amount of sources it provides and the fact that it's so recent is also helpful. I agree and think that the article is true. Everyone has different external & internal factors that prove how much sleep we need. This article helps prove so.

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I also agree this article is true. I loved your highly analytical and well-thought response. The use of fact-checking the sources was done well through quoting specific areas of the articles. I really liked how you did research on the authors and  made sure to point out their achievements to build up credibility. It makes sense that the amount of sleep we need is affected by so many other factors, as stated in the article.

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You did a great job finding reliable sources to support this claim from a variety of research facilities. I really liked how you included the specific evidence from each study that supports the claim, showing the different components affecting how much sleep a person requires and how they differed between groups in the studies.

Answer 4

The main claim presented in this Time article is that some people need more sleep than others, and that there are many factors that play a role in the number of hours needed for individuals to feel well rested. Time claims that these factors include sex, medical concerns, and genes. After fact checking each of the original sources used in the article, the argument has been found to be completely solid. The article references information from sources such as U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ American Time Use Survey and American Sleep Foundation reports which are both reliable sources. I also made sure to check out what Harvard Sleep Medicine had to say about the claim. In the article, it was expressed that in fact, the amount of sleep a person needs varies from one individual to another depending on genetics and individual variations. I would state that this Times article is thoughtful and well-written, with strong facts and credible sources. 

Comments

Hello, the fact-checking of the main claims of the article is well-developed and clear. Including multiple reasons why the main claims are true makes this fact check even more clear. Both of the citations you include work that is vital to fact. The only suggestion I would make is to include the. citation from the Harvard Sleep Medicine.

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Good job checking the references the article listed! I think your effort to check out additional sources, such as the Harvard Sleep Medicine source, shows your willingness to investigate the credibility of the source beyond just looking at its references. Perhaps including the Harvard study in a link would be helpful, but great fact check!

Answer 5

Most studies point to the fact that it is true that the amount of sleep a someone needs can vary from person to person. Referenced by both articles linked in this answer, many different factors do have an effect on the amount person needs--factors such as gender (women on average have been found to need a few more minutes of sleep each night due to things such as menstruation cycle, pregnancy, etc.), and age (toddlers needing around 17 hours a sleep a day, 12 for kids, and 7-9 for adults). Another large factor that can change how much sleep (referenced in both sources) relates to consumption of substances like alcohol or cannabis; however the largest factor of the bunch is one's circadian rhythm. Referenced by Dr. Anne-Marie Chang, in Harvard Education's article, a persons circadian rhythm can be the biggest factor genetically for why someone may need to sleep less than another. If someone's circadian clock moves slower, they might experience needed significantly less sleep than someone with a faster circadian clock. 

https://time.com/7064982/how-much-sleep-do-you-need-health/

https://sleep.hms.harvard.edu/education-training/public-education/sleep-and-health-education-program/sleep-health-education-80#:~:text=The%20circadian%20rhythms%20generated%20by,determined%E2%80%94at%20least%20in%20part.

Comments

I think that this is a good fact check as you used reputable sources and posted both direct data and referenced words from one of the articles. Also, the fact that you referenced more than one factor on how much sleep someone needs.

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Hi! Your fact checking of the claim "Some people need more sleep than others" is very thorough and easy to follow! Harvard.edu and time.com are credible sources, and it is informational that you took into account how multiple factors (gender, age, substance use, etc) can influence the circadian rhythm and how much sleep one needs. This source from the National Library of Medicine (NIH) provides further information on how specifically substances can influence ones circadian rhythms, and supports the overall claim that some people need more sleep than others.  https://www.mdpi.com/2624-5175/6/3/30#:~:text=Substance%20use%20disorder%20forms%20a,plasma%20melatonin%20and%20cortisol%20concentrations.

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This is a great fact check. Harvard and Time are great sources and you didn't just list the sources but went into detail about the articles and how they related to the original claim. For example, in the part at the end about the circadian rhythm you gave examples to back up what the source was saying which made it much easier to understand.

Answer 6

This claim seems to be true. This Harvard study touches on many of the same reasonings and verifications behind the Time article you provided. It talks of how sleep changes with age, how circadian rhythms in an increasingly urbanized environment affects sleep, in addition to how genetics plays a part in sleep as well, especially regarding disorders like insomnia and narcolepsy. In addition, it also touches on how normal sleep is defined differently by different cultures. Harvard got their information from different neurology seminars and journals.

https://sleep.hms.harvard.edu/education-training/public-education/sleep-and-health-education-program/sleep-health-education-80

Answer 7

Lastly, looking into this claim this one holds up very strongly because by looking into each of the articles a lot of the quotes and information I read was very well informed and had a lot of data to make this claim very reliable. Looking into this claim it had a lot of good insight, more in depth though it gives a lot of detail with discussing genetics being a key reason why people typically need more hours of sleep with it being an built in your DNA which is really good to know when reading into this claim. Overall this claim is truthfully with a lot of medical terms and breakdown proving this claim to be accurate and not misinformation coming from the articles I read for this claim. 

www.huffpost.com/entry/why-do-some-people-need-more-sleep-than-others_n_5aafb7fce4b0337adf85b072.

www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320349.

Sarkisfamilypsychiatry.com, 2015, sarkisfamilypsychiatry.com/blog/sarkis-blog.html. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.

Answer 8

The article that you linked backs up your claim reasonably well with the different factors it displays. To go even further into proving your point when doing research on the claim I found many reputable sources to back up the claim. Most notably I found an article from Harvard's Division of Sleep Medicine that included the factors that sleep apnea and genetics have on people. According to the article, "a slight genetic variation" can have a bigger impact on the individual in the case of sleep loss than the average person. A lot of what surrounds this claim to being true is individual's genetics which could reveal many factors that cause them to need more sleep than others.

Sources: 

https://sleep.hms.harvard.edu/education-training/public-education/sleep-and-health-education-program/sleep-health-education-80

Answer 9

Some people need more sleep than others—and you might be one of them. Jeffrey Kluger's claim that "some people need more sleep than others" is true. Good health depends on getting enough sleep, and various aspects of a person's life, including gender, influence how much sleep a person needs to avoid oversleeping or being sleep deprived. According to Kluger, our sleep habits vary throughout our lives—"from 17 hours a day as newborns to up to 12 hours as schoolkids, to the seven- to nine-hour benchmark for adults." He also lists a number of reasons that could account for the small disparity, such as the lack of opportunities for midday naps and the all-day duties of unpaid housework, which women still do more frequently than men. Menstruation, menopause, and pregnancy are other potential causes, according to the American Sleep Foundation. These events can disrupt sleep and cause women to stay in bed slightly longer to compensate for the sporadic awakenings. And let's not forget about insomnia, another important consideration. It is estimated that one in three adults globally suffers from insomnia, which is defined as the inability to fall or stay asleep at any given time and is influenced by a variety of external factors, including genetics, depression, and anxiety! In conclusion, the article's claim is true as it has been able to provide credible evidence.

https://time.com/7064982/how-much-sleep-do-you-need-health/