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Comparative Study
. 2009 Mar;32(3):423-6.
doi: 10.1093/sleep/32.3.423.

Season of birth, gender, and social-cultural effects on sleep timing preferences in humans

Vincenzo Natale  1 , Ana Adan, Marco Fabbri
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Season of birth, gender, and social-cultural effects on sleep timing preferences in humans

Vincenzo Natale et al. Sleep. 2009 Mar.

Abstract

Study objective: The present study aimed to analyze season of birth effects on preferred sleep-wake cycle timing as assessed by Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ).

Participants and measurements: The MEQ was administered to a sample of 5,720 university students (3,851 Italians and 1,869 Spaniards; 3,877 female and 1,843 male; mean age 22.23 +/- 2.98 years).

Results: Females preferred to go to bed significantly earlier and sleep longer than males, regardless of season of birth and nationality. Subjects born in spring and summer went to bed and reached midpoint of sleep later than subjects born in fall and winter. Nationality significantly affected all the sleep parameters considered except duration.

Conclusion: Overall, the effect of the season of birth on sleep preference timing was significant but quantitatively small. We suggest an evolutionary context for the different contributions of genetic and environmental factors in modulating sleep-wake cycles in humans.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Mean values and standard deviations (dotted line) of preferred sleep hours for every month of birth, subdivided by gender (male = line and female = outline) and nationality (Italian left; Spanish right). Women prefer significantly more sleep than men, independent of nationality and season of birth (F1,5671 = 93.87; P < 0.00001).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Mean hour and SD (dotted line) of the midpoint of preferred sleep for month of birth, subdivided by gender (male = line; female = outline) and nationality (Italian left; and Spanish right). Spanish subjects reach the mean midpoint later than Italian subjects (F1,5671 = 93.50; P < 0.00001). Subjects born in summer reach the midpoint of preferred sleep later than subjects born in autumn and winter (F3,5671 = 3.58; P < 0.00001).
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