So which countries are getting the most sleep?

Are you living in one of those countries whose citizens are getting plenty of sleep?

There is plenty of research available relating to sleep. Scientists carry out research for all types of reasons, and with the smartphone technology that is currently available these scientists have uncovered some remarkable details. In this article, we are going to combine that information collected from some of the most recent sleep research studies and tell you which country is getting the most sleep and why it might be time for a new mattress.

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You are likely to have heard pretty much all of the sleep facts before. At one time 8 hours of sleep was the preached number of hours said to be the optimum amount. Then that number was drastically reduced. And lately, the newest facts tell us that your sleep should be broken up and enjoyed in 2 halves.

In reality, we are all different. And because we are all so very different, the number of hours of sleep we need is going to differ from person to person. It is also, therefore, likely to differ from one country to the next. Research to find out the average number of hours that people sleep based on the country in which they live is something that is ongoing. And the answers will surprise you.

Sleep and your productivity

Sleep can have a direct effect on your day to day productivity.

No matter how much you would like to argue this point, your sleep and your productivity are going to be closely related to one another. Feeling like a zombie while you are working is one of the most unpleasant ways to spend your day. There is hardly a person alive who is able to productively function on less than their usual amount of sleep. If 4 hours is enough for you, then only sleeping for 2 is going to leave you feeling completely drained.

According to an app known as Sleep App, there are few people who are enjoying the 7-9 hours of sleep which are recommended to be the optimal amount of time to spend snoozing. Data which was collected from thousands of participants from around the world showed that the majority of them were struggling to get the hours in. It also revealed some other interesting data such as most people wake up feeling the grumpiest on a Tuesday, and that the Asian nations are getting the least amount of sleep. If you are enjoying the best sleep on Wednesday nights, Friday nights and Saturday nights, then you are certainly not alone as most people reported these as the best nights to sleep soundly.

So who is getting the most sleep?

That would be the Dutch. According to research done in 2016, the Dutch are getting around 5 minutes more than what is still recommended as the ideal 8 hours of sleep every night. It is not all that surprising as those living in the Netherlands are known for their more laid back approach to life.

Next on the list of those lucky enough to be getting their nightly dose of sleep is New Zealand. Whether they are snoozing their alarm clocks more than most, or if it is just all that fresh air and abundance of time spent in nature, those living in New Zealand come second on the list of people getting more than the average amount of sleep.

Sadly many first world countries performed quite poorly, with Germany sitting near the back of the list. Perhaps those nations whose people were more stressed out than others are finding that their sleep is being affected.

Where do South Africans fall?

South Africans experience the lowest amount of sleep every night. With the majority of South Africans going to bed after midnight and getting up at 20 minutes after 6, we have almost fallen right to the bottom of the list. But South Africans tend to cope very well with the limited amount of sleep that they have. One of the biggest reasons that South Africans might be experiencing that early wake-up hour is likely a lot to do with the morning commutes and hours stuck in traffic. But according to this research report, South Africans are officially the earliest risers.

Another fact uncovered by this research is that South Africans are a nation expected to have the best sleep on a Wednesday night.

What is the world average when it comes to hours spent sleeping?

6 hours and 27 minutes is the worldwide average, with over 65% of those participating in the studies reporting this as the average amount of time that they spend sleeping each night. And it could be argued that one of the biggest reasons why people are not sleeping has to do with the type of lifestyle that is seemingly experienced all over the world. Most of us live a very fast lifestyle, with our computers, tablets and smartphones only being put to one side right before we go to bed rather than the recommended hour before going to sleep. Technology is a big culprit for sleep loss.

Technology can be the biggest killer of sleep.

Are you doing enough to get quality sleep?

Another big issue that affects sleep can be the mattress that you are sleeping on. Many people do not realise the amount of damage that they are causing to their sleep when they are not sleeping on the right mattress. You need to have good rest, regardless of how long you sleep each night. It might just be the right time to replace your mattress with a new one. New mattresses can be bought from The Mattress Warehouse. With a wide selection of beds and mattresses for sale at affordable prices, you can expect your sleep to improve.