Where Human Sleep Went Wrong

Evolutionary anthropologist David Samson has identified a paradox in human sleep: humans sleep fewer hours than any other ape species despite sleep being critical to cognitive function and health, yet remain the most evolutionarily successful primates. His research with the Hadza tribe in Tanzania and other communities challenges the assumption that optimal sleep requires long, unbroken periods, as the Hadza report high sleep satisfaction despite fragmented, short-duration sleep patterns driven by nighttime social activities.