Ultimate world sleep rankings: Finns top charts at 8 hours every night – 70 minutes MORE than the Japanese (so how does Britain and the US fare?)

Hitting the sack for eight hours a night is often touted as the ideal amount.

But only those living in one nation manage to get that much shut-eye each night, a study suggests.

Researchers in Korea and the UK monitored the sleeping habits of more than 30,000 people across 11 countries through smartwatches and surveys.

Results showed that only those living in Finland managed to average eight hours of sleep per night, while those in Japan were the least rested — getting less than seven.

Meanwhile, the US ranked ninth, with an average of seven-and-a-half hours per night, while those in the UK got an extra 10 minutes in bed.

Americans only nodded off for seven hours and 28 minutes per night, on average. Results suggest they went to bed at 11:51pm and woke up at 7:28am 

Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and the UK-based Nokia Bell Labs wanted to determine whether where a person lived affected how much sleep they got.

The team examined smartwatch data from 30,082 people across 11 nations — including the UK, US and Spain — which was collected over a four-year period.

The volunteers also completed surveys on their sleep times. However, researchers found that these were inaccurate by up to one hour, when compared to data from the sleep trackers.

Results, published in the journal Scientific Reports, show that, overall, participants went to sleep around midnight and wake up at 7:42am, on average.

But overall sleep time varied between nations.

Those in Finland got the most — averaging eight hours and one minute and sleeping from 11:43pm to 7:43am.

People in France were the next-best rested, getting seven hours and 45 minutes of shut-eye per night. They slept from 12:06am to 7:53am, on average.

Brits ranked third, clocking up seven hours and 44 minutes in bed, on average, with a bedtime of 11:52pm and waking up at 7:38am. 

Americans only nodded off for seven hours and 28 minutes per night, on average. Results suggest they went to bed at 11:51pm and woke up at 7:28am.

People in Japan got the least rest — just six hours and 51 minutes per night, on average. They had the latest sleep time of 12:42am and woke up at 7:38am, according to the smartwatch data.    

The researchers said the findings show that those who live in wealthier countries get the fewer hours of sleep.

This may be down to residents in these countries working longer hours and having a more rigid work schedule, the team suggested.

But they also pointed to the individualism index — a tool that measures whether people think of themself mainly as an individual or part of a group — as an explanation for sleep length.

Countries that placed more emphasis on being part of a group — Spain and Japan — had the latest sleep times, the researchers noted. 

This could mean they have more family obligations in the evening that causes them to go to bed later. 

Daniele Quercia, head of social dynamics and Nokia Bell Labs, said: ‘Excessive work schedules, long working hours, and late bedtimes in high-income countries and social engagement due to high collectivism may cause bedtimes to be delayed.’ 

Tips on how to get to sleep and sleep better

Insomnia means you regularly have problems sleeping. It can get better by changing your sleeping habits

One in three adults in the UK and almost half of US adults suffer with insomnia, with millions more reporting sleepless nights.

Long-term sleep deprivation can cause obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. 

Insomnia can be caused by stress, anxiety, alcohol, caffeine or nicotine, noise, shift work and jet lag. 

If you regularly have problems sleeping, there are simple ways to improve your sleep hygiene. 

 

 Keep regular sleep hours 

• Try going to bed when you feel tired and getting up at the same time each day. 

Create a restful space 

• Dark, quiet and cool environments generally make it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep.

 Get moving

• Exercise is good for your physical health and your mind.  It can also help you sleep better. Just don’t do vigorous exercise too close to your bedtime. 

 

 Don’t force it 

• If you find yourself unable to get to sleep, get up and do something relaxing for a bit. Then get back into bed when you feel a bit sleepier. 

Write down your worries

• If you find your worries keep you up at night, try writing them down before going to bed. 

Ease off the caffeine

• Alcohol and caffeine can stop you from falling asleep and having a deep sleep. Cutting down on caffeine close to bedtime and alcoholic drinks could help you dose off. 

 

 

Source NHS