While over nine in 10 adults globally believe sleep is crucial to their overall health and wellbeing, more than eight in 10 adults say that something — spending time with their spouse/partner, family, friends and job — takes precedence over a good night’s sleep
This was one of the findings included in the Royal Philips report, “Unfiltered Sleep: A Global Prioritization Puzzle,” which it released in celebration of World Sleep Day which falls on March 17.
The international survey was conducted online in February by Harris Poll on behalf of Philips, a global leader in sleep and respiratory care. It looks at how 6,461 adults across five countries (United States, the Netherlands, Germany, France and Japan) perceive, prioritize, and prepare for sleep, as well as how sleep impacts daily responsibilities, from work to relationships and hobbies. The survey found that while there is little debate on the value of sleep, individuals face daily demands which compete for time, often leaving sleep diminished in the list of daily priorities.
A good night’s sleep, eating well, and exercising are the key pieces to nurturing a healthy lifestyle. But as daily priorities shift and time becomes scarce, sleep is often the first on the list to be pushed aside — the Unfiltered Sleep survey shows more than eight in 10 adults globally (84%) say that a variety of activities take precedence over a good night’s sleep.
“We need to start thinking of health and wellness as a table with four legs, each of which representing proper nutrition, exercise, positive mental health and sleep — if we’re only focusing on diet and exercise, that table isn’t going to be balanced. Just a single night of sleeping badly can immediately impact our performance, safety and sense of wellbeing — imagine what happens over months or years of not getting enough quality sleep,” Dr. Teofilo Lee-Chiong, sleep clinician and Chief Medical Liaison, Philips, was quoted as saying in a statement.
The importance of sleep is recognized, with 92% survey participants saying sleep is crucial to their overall health and wellbeing. Still, many things get in the way.
Some key survey findings include:
• 74% of survey participants say good sleep is the key to a happy marriage. This is especially true in Japan (89%), followed by the US (79%), and the Netherlands (71%).
• 82% of survey participants said they experience negative impacts following just one bad night’s sleep. Adults in France (87%) and Japan (86%) are most likely to feel negative impacts. The top three negative impacts reported were looking tired (40%), being less productive (37%), and feeling unmotivated (35%).
• 84% of respondents say something in their lives is more important than making sure they get a good night’s sleep.
• About half of adults in France (53%), along with just under half of adults in the US (46%) and Germany (48%), say spending time with family is more important than a good night’s sleep.
• While only one in 10 of adults who are employed prioritize their job over sleep; this pressure to work seems to be slightly greater in the US (13% vs. 10% in each of the other four countries). More than one quarter of employed US adults (30%) indicate that sending late night e-mails, when everyone else is asleep, shows that you care more about your job.
• TV is usually the last thing many do before bed: Adults globally vary in how they spend their time right before bed, but TV is by far the top choice (28%). And despite all the literature that screens should be turned off well before sleep, nearly half of adults (47%) say screen time (including watching TV, reading on an electronic device, checking e-mail, looking at social media and browsing the Web) is the very last thing they do.
“Lack of quality sleep not only results in poor productivity and reduced alertness but chronic sleep loss can put you at risk of developing health issues like heart disease, stroke and diabetes,” said Urasinee Patarasongkram, Country Manager, Philips Philippines, in the statement.
To learn more about the “Unfiltered Sleep: A Global Prioritization Puzzle,” visit Philips.com/WorldSleepDay.
