Do We All Need 8 Hours? Cross-Cultural Sleep Norms – EP 24 w/ Benjamin Y. Cheung

Benjamin Y. Cheung is a Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia. His research spans cultural psychology, social identity, and intergroup relations, with a focus on how cultural contexts shape the way people think, feel, and behave. While much of his work is not directly on sleep, he has examined the intersection of culture and rest in one notable study comparing Japanese and Canadian university students.

In this episode, we focus specifically on Benjamin’s cross-cultural sleep research. We explore how Japanese students average fewer hours of sleep yet report good health, why cultural beliefs about sleep can be just as powerful as biology, and whether the “8-hour rule” should be considered universal. The conversation also touches on how cultural environment can shape health perceptions, what this means for public health messaging, and how universities can better support students from diverse backgrounds.