Countries that are Sleep Deprived
4th February 2022Should you travel around the world and ask people how they will describe getting eight hours of sleep each night, chances are high that most would consider it a luxury, or an, impossibility.
Data collected worldwide shows how much sleep people are getting and several Asian countries are among the most sleep-deprived. The downward spiral in many places are causing concern of a global sleep loss epidemic. Sleeping less than 7 hours a night can be classified as being sleep deprived.
The most sleep deprived countries according to a survey done by Sleep Cycle an app that tracks sleep hours is South Korea and Saudi Arabia getting just under 6.5 hours per night on average and the sleepiest country Japan clocking in a few winks above 6.25 hours.
New Zealand is closest to the bottom of the world getting nearly 7.75 hours of sleep, followed by their Australia, Finland and the Netherlands.
Data shows Asia fared the worst in getting sufficient shuteye while Europe and North America got the most sleep. South and Central America generally fell in the middle, and Middle East and Africa dotted the graph differently.
Japan is a country known for a hard-driving work force they expect excellence and are a culture of discipline. The signs point to overwork as the culprit of a sleepless society.
There is a Japanese term “karoshi” that means “death by overwork,” it’s even been recognized as a legal term for cause of death.
The problem has become so serious that in recent years Japan’s government and private companies are actively advocating and launching initiatives to reduce working hours.
South Korea’s extreme work hours and schedules are the cause of lack of sleep. Seoul is often called the city that never sleeps, workers are so desperate for more sleep that they are willing to pay for it.
Nap cafes offer sleep capsules where South Koreans can rent a private bunk with oxygen concentrators and sleep-conducive lighting to promote sleep and healing.
Education in both these Asian countries are so highly valued that their school-aged children and young adults in college become victims of chronic and severe sleep loss. Sacrificing sleep seems to be only way students can excel in their pursuits because the demands and pressure are so high and the standards rigorous.
Adolescents in Saudi Arabia are highly sleep deprived. However, in a national surveys and studies conducted, more than 31% of adolescents and almost 34% of adults and children sleep less than seven hours a night.
The data indicates that the sleep behaviour among the youth and adolescents are influenced by the habits and patterns of parents.
Older adults tend to need less sleep, but less than seven hours is not recommended for healthy for developing minds and bodies.
Sleep deprivation can have severe effects on our lives, being sleep deprived can cause, irritability, a short temper and a generally negative mood will impact personal interactions at work or in school our productivity and accuracy will also decline.
Sleep deprivation is linked to many physical and mental health problems and as a result a higher mortality risk. Data Shows a Shocking Worldwide Lack of Sleep. It’s not only about you stifling a yawn; a worldwide lack of sleep is leaving us all falling asleep on the job and it’s becoming a big issue.
Data from Sleep Cycle has shown that no country in the world manages to achieve 8 hours of sleep on a regular basis. As the recommended range of sleep for an adult is 7-9 hours a night, this highlights a worrying lack of sleep throughout the world.
Sleep has become an almost unattainable commodity, a luxury reserved for a fortunate few who don’t feel the various strings of responsibility pulling them in all directions at once. Working full-time, care for family, hang out with friends, finding time for a gym session can leave very little time for sleep.
It’s time to get your Zzzz’z in and improve the quality of your life.