Amsterdam, the Netherlands – Ahead of World Sleep Day on March 16, Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) has released the findings from its annual global survey in the report, “Better Sleep, Better Health. A Global Look at Why We’re Still Falling Short on Sleep”, which looked at what keeps people in 13 countries from getting their optimal night’s rest.
Results from Philips’ annual sleep survey showed that 36 percent of adults across the globe have tried listening to soothing music to improve their sleep, an insight being put to the test at the sleep experience in Austin. The survey, conducted online in February by Harris Poll on behalf of Philips, reviews the sleep habits of over 15,000 adults across 13 countries (United States, the UK, Germany, Poland, France, India, China, Australia, Colombia, Argentina, Mexico, Brazil and Japan), taking a closer look at how sleep is prioritized, addressed, and perceived by populations around the globe.
Key findings include:
- We still aren’t prioritizing sleep: Looking at 13 countries, the survey found that the majority of global adults (67 percent) view sleep’s impact on their overall health and wellbeing to be significant. However, when it came down to incorporating healthy sleep habits into their lifestyle, the guilt felt for not regularly(i.e. 3-4 times a week) exercising (49 percent) or not eating healthy (42 percent) far surpassed the guilt associated with not maintaining good sleep habits (29 percent).
- We face barriers to good sleep – and impacts from bad sleep: Over 6 in 10 global adults (61 percent) have some kind of medical issue that impacts their sleep, with a quarter of adults reporting insomnia (26 percent) and 1 in 5 experiencing snoring (21 percent). Worrying has kept over half of global adults up at night in the past 3 months (58 percent), followed by technology distractions (26 percent), and after a bad night’s sleep, global adults report they look tired (46 percent), they are moody/irritable (41 percent), they aren’t as motivated (39 percent), or they have trouble concentrating (39 percent).
- We’re willing to make an effort: Globally, three-quarters of adults (77 percent) have tried to improve their sleep in some way. Collectively, many have turned to soothing music (36 percent) or instituting a set bedtime/wake-up schedule (32 percent), however, different countries have tried different methods more so than other countries. One of the top methods Indian adults have turned to is meditation (45 percent), while one of the top methods used by Polish and Chinese adults is improving their air quality (33 percent and 31 percent), and many Mexican, Indian and Chinese adults have tried specialized bedding (24 percent, 24 percent and 31 percent).
- Millennials think differently about sleep: Throughout the global results, one outlier presented itself in adults ages 18 – 24. Despite being less likely to follow a set bedtime compared to other generations (38 percent vs. 47 percent of those ages 25+), this group reported getting more sleep each night, on average, than other age groups (ages 18-24 get an average of 7.2 hours, compared to 6.9 hours among those ages 25+). They are also more likely to feel guilty about not regularly maintaining good sleep habits as compared to those ages 35+ (35 percent vs. 26 percent). Adults ages 18 -24 are also most likely to have done something in order to improve their sleep than those ages 25+ (86 percent vs. 75 percent).
To view additional findings from this year or a past year’s global survey, visit:
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