Do you wake up nearly every morning feeling groggy and lethargic? You’re not alone. The world’s biggest sleep study shows that three-quarters of people aren’t waking up
refreshed.
The sleep census – a collaboration between Sealy UK, Loughborough University in the UK, and CQ University in Australia – polled more than 15,000 people around the world. This included Australia, the UK, South Africa and South Korea. In Australia, 2,534 people participated.
And, for the first time ever, it also compared the sleep patterns of the eastern and western worlds.
Across the four continents, most people said they didn’t get enough sleep. Why?
According to the study:
- 23% were kept awake by a partner using their digital device in bed
- 42% were kept awake by a partner snoring
- 55% were kept awake because they needed to use the bathroom
- Australia had a 19.5% insomnia rate. UK was slightly higher at 20.5%, while China had the highest rate at 46%.
Sleep debt in the UK was significant. There, British women lose 10 days’ sleep each year. Men in the UK lost 5 days a year.
Why is sleep deprivation a problem? Professor Kevin Morgan, director of Loughborough University’s Clinical Sleep Research Unit explains:
“We’re pleased to be involved with the study, which gives us valuable insight not only into the sleeping habits of people in the UK, but of the whole world - and that’s what’s so exciting about the findings. In this initial analysis, we are already seeing some significant trends including a global ‘sleep debt’ as people across the globe struggle to get their required hours each night.
“Even an hour’s less sleep each night can cause problems the next day, impacting on a person’s cognitive performance and ability to remain alert and focused on tasks. Any more than that and people open themselves up to more serious health issues including obesity, diabetes and depression.”
