Albanians love sleep so much that they rank first in the world in terms of sleep duration, according to a study by "Nature" magazine. Of the 63 nationalities researched, the study showed that Albanians slept the longest, an average of 7 hours and 32 minutes per night. While the world average sleep duration is just over 7 hours.

This is significantly more than the average Japanese, with 6 hours and 38 minutes of sleep. What explains the difference? According to researchers, this is due to cultural norms and geographical latitude. As an example of the former, the article cites workplace napping, which “may be frowned upon in some countries (e.g., the US or France), while considered normal by their neighbours (e.g., Spain or Italy ). 

Also, Far Eastern countries, particularly Japan, report less sleep. This can be partly explained by the work culture in these countries. Japan is the only nation in the world where 25% of employed workers work more than 50 hours a week. 

As an example of the geographic factor, the researchers refer to a previous study showing a divergence in sleep durations in Chile, a country particularly suitable for studying latitude differences. This study found that average sleep duration on workdays was 7 hours 55 minutes in the North and 8 hours 20 minutes in the South. 

In other words: Chileans closer to the equator sleep less than their compatriots anywhere in the country.

(Source: Big Think)