Sleep Duration in Asia

How much sleep are people in Asia getting?

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We looked at the amount of sleep people in Europe get before. This time we’re going to see how much sleep people are getting in Asia.

We can straight away see that this map seems to be almost an inverse of the European map. Where in Europe, only one country didn’t get the recommended minimum 7 hours of sleep. Only one country in Asia actually gets an average of more than 7 hours of sleep. China is the only country where people get an average of more than 7 hours of sleep per night. Countries like Hong Kong and Thailand are quite close to 7 hours of sleep.

This could be because most Asian cities are a lot more densely populated. Asian cities also tend to be a lot noisier, which can disrupt people’s sleep. The tropical climate in south-east is Asia is definitely also not making it easier to sleep.

Japan and South Korea have by far the lowest amount of sleep per night. Both less than 6.5 hours. A probable cause is the high-pressure working culture. In both countries it’s very common to work overtime. Even when work is over, most salarymen will quite often go out for dinner and drinks with their colleagues and boss. Especially in Japan where it’s common for salarymen to go to an Izakaya after work. They stay out until the wee hours and have to be back on time at the office the next morning.

Most adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep. Sleep is an essential part of your overall health. A lot of people still under-estimate how important a good sleeping pattern is for your health. Too little sleep can cause many health problems, including memory problems, a weakened immune system, feelings of depression, weight gain, bad decision-making and a higher chance of conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes or heart attack.

Although the amount of sleep you get is a big influence on the quality of your sleep. There are also several other factors that can improve the quality of your sleep:

• Going to bed and waking up at the same time.
• Having a relaxing bedtime routine.
• Try to exercise regularly
• Don’t use any electronic devices at least half an hour before going to bed
• Minimize noise and light disruptions in your bedroom and also optimize the bedroom temperature.