大多数人需要每晚7.5至8.5小时的睡眠来维持健康[1]。长期睡眠不足可能导致严重后果，最坏情况下甚至可能致命[1]。据研究，完全不睡眠可能只能存活数周，时间短于完全缺乏食物[1]。
然而，并非所有人都需要遵循同样的睡眠标准。科学家已识别出一类被称为"自然短睡眠者"的人群，他们因基因变异能够在每晚少于六小时的睡眠下保持健康、快乐和充满活力[1]。目前已发现的与这一特性相关的基因包括2009年发现的DEC2、2019年发现的ADRB1，以及NPSR1、GRM1和SIK3等[1]。
加州大学旧金山分校的睡眠研究员Ying-Hui Fu表示，"除了空气和水，睡眠是对总体健康最重要的两件事之一"[1]。这一观点强调了睡眠对人体健康的基础性作用，尽管其具体需求量因遗传因素而存在个体差异。
Most people require approximately 7.5 to 8.5 hours of sleep per night to maintain optimal health [1]. However, this standard does not apply universally. Researchers have identified a small population of natural short sleepers who possess genetic variations enabling them to remain healthy, happy, and energetic on fewer than six hours of sleep nightly [1]. These genetic mutations include DEC2, discovered in 2009, and ADRB1, identified in 2019, along with other variants such as NPSR1, GRM1, and SIK3 [1].
The consequences of chronic sleep deprivation are severe. Extended periods of insufficient sleep can lead to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and in extreme cases, may prove fatal [1]. According to sleep researcher Ying-Hui Fu of the University of California, San Francisco, "Apart from air and water, sleep is one of the two most important things for overall health" [1]. To underscore the critical importance of sleep, the research indicates that humans can survive only weeks without it—a shorter timeframe than the months one might endure without food [1].
The debate over sleep requirements extends to public figures. Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takagi claimed to sleep between zero and three hours during her tenure in office [1], illustrating the divergence between common sleep recommendations and actual practices among high-profile individuals.