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Australia recently reported that sleep disorders have become widespread among the adult population. As scary as this thought is, the fact remains that this matter is becoming an epidemic.
Studies released on World Sleep Day indicate that 45% of Australian adults feel satisfied with their sleep, while 38% are dissatisfied. So why is Australia so sleepless? Let me explain the statistics.
Did You Know? There are around 21 online, bed-in-a-box brands in Australia and close to 250 all over the world. Source: SleepSociety.com.au
Sleep Statistics of Australia
Many studies, surveys, and data analyses have determined how many people have difficulty sleeping and categorize them under demographics.
40% of Australians are struggling to sleep for 7-9 hours.
59.4% experience symptoms at least 3-4 times per week, including trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early and not being able to get back to sleep.
In children aged 12-15, 25% do not sleep for 8-10 hours on school nights, and children aged 16-17 it’s 50%.
Only 20% of Australians report sleeping uninterrupted.
A whopping 20% of Australians fell asleep behind the wheel, and 5% of these accidents occurred.
Sleepless Australians are almost 80% less productive.
Heart disease and diabetes kill 40% of sleep-deprived Australians.
Australia spends $66.3 billion per year on health and overheads because of sleep distress.
The average West Australian wakes up at 6.45 am - Jawbone UP fitness tracker data.
What keeps the nation awake?
After going through the statistics, I’m sure we are all wondering what keeps ;most Aussies awake? There are multiple factors to it but let’s see what the data has to say
1.Lifestyle
The Sleep Health Foundation (SHF) said that the prime cause of not sleeping enough is work stress and various lifestyle choices among the younger group.
48.8% complained that their hectic schedule is hampering their sleep. Furthermore, SHF mentioned how few people feel achievement with little rest and take pride in it.
2.Environment
The Institute for Social Research (ISSR) has discussed environmental and societal factors playing a role in an individual’s potential to get enough sleep.
The Public Health Association discussed how poor accommodation conditions, unemployment, noise, inadequacy in locality safety, financial crisis, etc., have become primary reasons for lack of sleep.
According to the SleepFit report, amongst 4000 participants, 37% mentioned the bedrooms being either too hot or cold, 20% interrupted by children, and 17.5% due to noise.
38% of adults with partners sleep separately to get better sleep.
3.Technology
13.8% of adults get up 2-3 nights in a week to utilise technology, whereas 12.7% wake up once a week.
Above 28% of 12-13 years children and 27% of 14-15 years, teenagers do not follow the sleep guidelines due to access to the internet.
4.Other factors
The Melbourne Sleep Disorders Centre (MSDC) stated behavioural industries see minimal sleep as a constructive characteristic.
22% of people work before going to bed, out of which 69% suffer from sleep problems.
40% of Australians drink alcohol during bedtime and could affect both health and sleep behaviour.
Results of lack of sleep
The numbers baffle everyone. With the above information, let’s see the repercussions of not sleeping enough.
1.Death
Deloitte evaluated that between 2016-17, 3,017 Australians passed away due to sleeplessness. Heart conditions caused 77% of these deaths.
Once a month, 29% of people drive in an exhausted state
More than 50% of exhaustion-related accidents occur within 25km of leaving point.
2.Health issues
The Australian Epidemiological Association (AEA) said poor sleeping habits increase 20-40% risk for long-term health conditions.
According to the Sleep Health Survey, 2016, 20% go through insomnia, 18% suffer Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)- urge to move legs while sleeping, and 8% from Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA)- a person breathing stops during sleep.
Sleep disorders can occur due to ill mental and physical health. Insomnia has increased to 30-80%.
At any given time, 1 in 10 Australians has at least mild insomnia. Women and the elderly are more likely to suffer from it.
3.Social and economic costs
In 2016-17, Deloitte reported that $66.3 billion was the expenditure for the outcome of having insufficient sleep. The cost took in $26.2 billion as financial expenditure and $40.1 billion in handling well-being.
Due to insufficient sleep, the financial cost incorporated productivity loss of $17.9 billion, $1.8 billion under healthcare costs, $0.6 billion for info, and $5.9 billion for other charges, including encumbrance cost.
The Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) figure lost because of poor sleep helped estimate the lost social welfare expenditure of $40.1 billion.
Take measures for improvement
It is a fact that sleep contributes 88% to our physical and 89% to mental health. Let us see how Australia is taking the initiative.
Philips Global Sleep Survey, 2018 reported 63% of Australians are taking measurements for better sleep. 33% watch TV while 31% reduce caffeine consumption.
21% listen to calming music, around 18% set a schedule to wake up, and 18% take prescribed sleep drugs.
Sleep and Mattresses
Australian mattress market is poised to grow by a 3.5% CAGR by FY 2023
The popularity of online mattresses has been fuelled by the convenience of customers being able to review, order, buy, and/or replace a mattress at the touch of a button.
In Australia, around 1.8 million mattresses go to landfills every year that can cause a burden on landfills and the environment.
What is the average wake up time in Australia?
According to the research and studies found in the search results, the average wake-up time in Australia is around 6:45 am. Here are some specific statistics related to wake-up time in Australia:
The Jawbone UP fitness tracker data collected from hundreds of thousands of people in 29 countries shows that the average West Australian wakes up at 6.45 am.
The University of Michigan's global sleep pattern research found that Australians are the world's earliest population to call it a night and the first to rise along with Americans, who both get up just after 6:45 am
The Sleep Practices of Australian University Students survey was conducted in 2020, and the participants were asked to report on their average hours of sleep per night by selecting one of four categories – less than 4.5 hours, 4.5 to 6 hours, 6 to 7.5 hours, and more than 7.5 hours.
The survey found that:
The majority of participants reported sleeping 6 to 7 hours per night or less.
Participants who slept less than 4.5 hours per night were more likely to use sleep strategies such as napping, caffeine, and alcohol to cope with sleep deprivation.
Participants who slept more than 7.5 hours per night were more likely to use sleep hygiene practices such as avoiding caffeine and alcohol before bedtime and keeping a regular sleep schedule.
Overall, the Sleep Practices of Australian University Students survey provides insights into the sleep habits of university students in Australia, including their average hours of sleep per night and the sleep strategies they use to cope with sleep deprivation. The survey highlights the importance of sleep hygiene practices in promoting healthy sleep habits among university students.
Compare the Market's research found that the average Australian gets 6 hours and 51 minutes of shut-eye each night, and only nearly two-thirds (63.2%) of Australians get the recommended hours of sleep between seven and nine hours a night
Overall, the research suggests that the average wake-up time in Australia is around 6:45 am, with some variations depending on the age group, location, and lifestyle factors.
Insomnia statistics in Australia
Insomnia is a very common health problem that affects between six and 33% of the population, depending on classification criteria
More than 12% of Australians have chronic insomnia, which is associated with an increased risk of depression
A recent survey on the Australian adult population who either had insomnia symptoms or were searching for insomnia information online revealed that 46% of the 1,013 respondents reported symptoms commensurate with clinical insomnia, but only 30% had consulted a health professional
Insomnia prevalence varies with symptom criteria used, with 8.6% of Australians having insomnia symptoms and TIB <7.5 hrs and 7.5% ever diagnosed with insomnia
Insomnia is more common in women and elderly people
Insomnia can include difficulty getting to sleep, waking up during the night and having trouble going back to sleep, and waking up too early
The first step in managing insomnia is to learn healthy sleep habits and change any lifestyle factors that may be contributing to the problem
Well-referenced research about global sleep statistics:
According to the Sleep Foundation, on average, we spend about two hours per night dreaming, and in a normal sleep period, a person experiences four to six sleep cycles. REM sleep makes up 20% to 25% of total sleep in healthy adults.
According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 14.5% of adults in the United States had trouble falling asleep or staying asleep most days or every day in the past 30 days. Sleep difficulties were more common among women, older adults, and those with lower levels of education and income
According to the Philips global sleep survey, the following are the statistics related to sleep health:
77% of surveyed adults recognised that sleep has an impact on health
62% of adults admitted they sleep only somewhat well
44% of adults stated that their sleep has worsened in the past five years
69% of global adults said they previously or currently read ahead of bedtime to improve sleep
60% of adults have not sought help from a medical professional to improve their sleep
8 in 10 global adults want to improve the quality of their sleep
45% of global consumers reported that the time they spend fully asleep has decreased since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic
27% of global consumers believe they may be at risk for sleep apnea
84% of respondents admitted to using a cell phone in bed, 41% of whom use it to read about the COVID-19 pandemic
These statistics show that while awareness of sleep's impact on overall health is on the rise, achieving quality sleep health remains elusive for many across the globe. However, people are willing to take steps to improve their sleep, such as reading before bedtime. The statistics also highlight the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sleep health, with decreased sleep time and increased cell phone use in bed.
Conclusion
Various studies have helped learn about Australian sleep statistics. In one of the studies, 42% of participants have suboptimal sleep.
16% of participants reported getting their sleep assessed, while 10% accepted one component of sleep care, where 43% was pharmacotherapy.
Several studies are currently being conducted and we will update the statistics as the results come in. Remember, if you love your health, you must love your sleep.
