For decades, people have been told that they need seven to nine hours of sleep – warned that slightly less could lead to obesity, depression and even dementia.
The Dutch sleep scientist Dr. Merijn van de Laar, however, turns everything we have told about sleep upside down – and says it is good if you get less than seven hours, or if you are awakened in the middle of the night.
The secret of the best resting evening can be gained by looking back at our ancestors of the caveman and the way they slept.
Pre -historical men and women lived a lifestyle that facilitated a relaxing night’s rest, including walking nearly 20,000 steps a day, living without technology and sharing their bed with dog companions.
Dr. Van de Laar wrote: ‘Newsflash: there is no epidemic of sleep loss, most people do not need eight hours of sleep, sleep medication has a bad influence on sleep and (probably) on health, lying awake at night can be completely normal and your sleep tracker is unreliable. ‘
Data from the CDC shows that 14.5 percent of adults have difficulty falling asleep and 18 percent have difficulty staying asleep.
And a survey from the American Academy or Sleep Medicine from 2024 showed that 12 percent of Americans were diagnosed with chronic insomnia – a disorder Dr. From the Laar first hand from the Laar.
Now, in his book ‘How to sleep as a cavemen‘ The sleep scientist shares how he healed his insomnia and outlines his top tips to sleep like the earliest people.
Dutch sleep scientist Merijn van de Laar (photo) believes that getting the best night’s sleep goes back in the context of tens of thousands of years
Get moving
Research into early people shows that they might need more sleep because of their active lifestyle.
Pre-historical people were hunter-gatherers, which means that all their food came from hunting animals and collecting plants.
Pictured Above is Dr Merijn van de Laar’s Book ‘How to Sleep Like A Caveman’
This required them to travel on foot to a dozen miles a day on foot and research estimates that our ancestors were twice as much as people today.
Women took about 11,000 steps a day while men pulled 19,000. Today the average American runs 5,000.
A study of Brandeis University Found adults of middle age who ran an extra 2,000 steps a day slept longer and better than on days when they were less active.
Another study Of the 500 adults, people who did not exercise, but walked 10,000 steps a day had improved sleep quality.
It has been shown that walking releases the mood -enhancing hormones called endorphins, which reduce stress and promote relaxation.
Dr. Van de Laar also suggests that a higher intensity exercise such as jogging or cycling can improve sleep, but exercising within two hours after going to sleep can increase your body temperature and heart rate, disrupting your sleep cycle.
Adopt a dog
Research shows that dog owners can sleep more solidly because they are more active (stock image)
Records from the best friend of man date back to tens of thousands of years. Researchers have discovered footprints and legprints side by side and have buried people and dogs together.
Dr. Van de Laar wrote that this suggests that people and dogs probably slept together, so dog owners who simulate their ancestors can sleep better.
A study from 2019 showed that dog owners sleep 53 minutes more at night than people without a dog company.
The researchers suggested that this could be because dog owners run more than non-owners during the day.
Dr. Van de Laar wrote: ‘An important factor here is that dog owners have a more active lifestyle anyway, which could make it more likely that they choose to have a dog.
“At the same time, because of the active way of life, they may need more physical recovery, which increases sleep duration.”
Dogs also offer a sense of company, which leads to fewer feelings of loneliness.
Hunt and collect
Ancient diets focused on animal proteins, vegetables and other, unprocessed foods. Dr. Van de Laar suggests that the high protein of a Paleo diet can help regulate sleep (stock image)
Dr. Van de Laar also proposes to simulate the diet of our ancestors, now known as the Paleo or Caveman diet.
The plan includes eating food that could only have been obtained by hunting and collecting, such as vegetables, nuts, seeds and lean meat.
Old people adhered to these foods up to about 10,000 years ago, when agricultural practices increased the popularity of grains, legumes, dairy and vegetable oil.
Paleolithic diets also contain a lot of proteins of meat such as beef and bison, some Dr. Van de Laar suggests that there could be sleep -promoting properties.
A recent overview of 19 studies showed that people who report more solidly at night, usually eat more protein -rich meals.
Moreover, A 2023 Study Found mice and flying on protein -rich diets had higher levels of molecules in their guts that improve sleep quality.
Research suggests that opting for protein -rich meals instead of carbohydrates can help regulate blood sugar levels, preventing blood sugar levels that can disturb sleep.
Watch out of the clock
Recent studies show that looking at the clock while it is trying to sleep, increases fear and stress, which hinders sleep quality
Prehistoric people did not sleep with an alarm clock or mobile phone on their bedside table, and Dr. Van de Laar said that ditch technology can lead to a more soothing night’s sleep.
A 2023 Study Of Indiana University, 5,000 people studied with insomnia.
Participants filled in questionnaires about the severity of their insomnia, the use of sleep medication and the time they spent watching a clock while trying to drift down at night.
Chief researcher Spencer Dawson said: ‘We have found that the time -drawing behavior mainly has an effect on the use of sleep medication because it worsens insomnia symptoms.
‘People are worried that they are not sleeping enough, then they start estimating how long it will take to fall back asleep and when they have to be.
‘That is not the type of activity that is useful in facilitating the ability to fall asleep; The more stressed you are, the harder you fall asleep. ‘
Dr van de Laar wrote: ‘The conclusion is that it is important to remove visible clocks from the bedroom as much as possible.
‘It is important to move it as far as possible from your bedroom and try the night without clocking. The same applies to mobile phones. ‘
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