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The Myth of Eight Hours of Sleep
The commonly held belief that humans need eight hours of sleep each night is a myth that dates back to the Industrial Revolution. Studies on individuals without modern gadgets like TVs and phones show that they naturally sleep for six to seven hours a night without napping. Research indicates that the optimal amount of sleep for most people is around seven hours per night, with a U-shaped curve demonstrating that both insufficient and excessive sleep can have negative impacts on health outcomes. Age and individual variations play a role in the ideal amount of sleep, with teenagers needing more sleep and older individuals requiring less.