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Australians are the world’s worst sleepers, new study finds Credits: Social Media
By Ellissa Bain

Australians are the world’s worst sleepers, new study finds

By Ellissa Bain

Bad sleep is a huge issue for so many people and not getting enough can have a huge impact on your health.

According to the National Council of Aging, 30% of adults have symptoms of insomnia, and a new study suggests where they come from.

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Australians are the world’s worst sleepers

OneBed�analyzed different factors that impact sleep to find out which nations sleep the worst. This included average hours per night, air quality index, noise pollution levels, stress levels, and monthly Google searches for the phrases ‘sleep deprivation’ and ‘insomnia remedies’.

Each factor was analyzed to determine its impact on sleep quality and the countries were given an overall score taking all of them into consideration.

They found that people in Australia�have the�worst sleep habits, with an average of�just 6.24 hours of sleep per night. Australians had a high volume of Google searches for sleep cures in relation to the country’s population and high noise pollution levels.

US comes in at second worst for sleep

Australia was closely followed by the United States, who had the lowest average sleep duration of just 5.70 hours per night. The US also had�over 1.1 million average monthly searches for ‘sleep deprivation’ and ‘insomnia remedies’ and high levels of noise pollution.

More than a third of Americans report getting less than seven hours of sleep in a 24-hour period, the National Council of Aging adds. 13.5% of adults over 18 reported feeling tired or exhausted most days and 10% have insomnia so bad that it impacts their daily activities.

According to a study by the Center for Disease and Control Prevention (CDC), people in Minnesota and Vermont get the most sleep (seven hours or more) while those in Hawaii get the worst.

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10 nations with the worst sleeping habits

According to the study, these are the world’s 10 worst sleepers:

  1. Australia
  2. United States
  3. Philippines
  4. United Kingdom
  5. Mexico
  6. Singapore
  7. India
  8. South Korea
  9. Brazil
  10. Israel

A lack of sleep can have disastrous health effects, increasing your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes, MedlinePlus explains. It can also affect your ability to think clearly, react quickly, and form memories, and increase anxiety and depression.

Getting into a good sleep pattern, which means going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, can help you sleep better. It’s also a good idea to avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol as these all impact your rest. Avoid large meals and beverages late at night and don’t nap after 3pm either.

Relaxing before bed, by taking a bath, reading or listening to relaxing music, getting rid of distractions like phones, bright lights and noises and keeping your bedroom the right temperature will all aid sleep too.

If you have continued trouble sleeping, speak to a healthcare professional who will be able to offer further guidance.