Much is said about diet, exercise, and emotion, three of the four pillars of human health, but very little about the fourth leg of the table: sleep. That is why hearing the conclusions of a scholar like Jerry Spiegel from the University of California (UCLA) can be quite surprising. "People think that if they don't sleep 7 or 8 hours a day, they have a problem, but if you have slept 6 and are not sleepy during the day, you should not worry at all," he states emphatically. "What's more, studies show that the problem would be with people who sleep more than 9 hours, since, statistically, they develop more problems (cardiac, respiratory...) and live less. We still don't know why or if making them sleep less would improve their health," he admits. However, Siegel assures that no one should take sleeping pills. "Although they put you to sleep immediately, they only increase sleep time by 15 to 20 minutes, and it has been shown that taking them daily shortens life. Better therapies exist."
Another of his recent discoveries is the importance of temperature during sleep. In his studies with pre-industrial societies (which had less than 2% insomnia), he found that they always slept during the coldest periods of the night, so he recommends "lowering the room temperature to sleep." Although climate change works against us in this regard. According to Javier Puertas, coordinator of the Sleep Disorders and Prevention area of the European Sleep Care Institute, "since the late 19th century, the temperature has risen between 0.72 and 1.05 °C, and is expected to rise between 1.11 and 2.22 °C more. Therefore, most health institutions are already working on a dual plan: to drive policies to try to reduce climate change and to face this new challenge in public health."
But it's not just about our health. For sociologist and doctor in Economic Sciences Salvador Cardús, the imminent time change has a social dimension. "The least favored groups have the worst schedules. Let's think about immigrants' jobs, the double workday of many women, or the differences between northern and southern countries. Time is the measure of our freedom. Therefore, any change in schedules needs political intervention and a plan to overcome the social resistance of 'it has always been this way,' 'it's because of our climate,' or 'it's part of the national character.' The ultimate goal of recovering Central European time is not only to start with more sun, advance daily routines by two hours, and gain the hour and a half of sleep we get less in our country, but to ensure that the transformation is stable and real."
In this transformation, technology, which robs us of so many hours of sleep, will also be our ally. Researchers like Dr. Carlos Egea from Hospital Universitario Araba advocate for creating large databases through wearables like Fitbit bracelets that, through luminosity sensors, movement, etc., monitor sleep phases and other constants, transmit data to a mobile app, and tell us whether or not we should increase our sleep time. The future arrives with new schedules, new habits, and new ways of dreaming.
Text: Ana Portolés Photography: Anna Pla-Narbona
You can read more stories like these in ALMA, the social social network, a digital space dedicated to the social sphere that offers a new perspective on the present and future of society, from an optimistic and diverse voice, and all the initiatives promoted by the "la Caixa" Social Project.