A solid 80 percent of people around the world consider sleep as the lynchpin in their wellbeing, but 57 percent say they could use better sleep, according to a new study from sleep and respiratory equipment maker Philips.
The report, Sleep: A Global Perspective, was released in conjunction with the World Association of Sleep Medicine’s annual World Sleep Day and is the first in a series of reports from Philips that will highlight sleep trends and habits collected from a survey of nearly 8,000 people across 10 countries.
The eyebrow-raising trend throughout the report is that while most respondents said they need to improve their sleep most did not actually pursue accomplishing that. The 57 percent of respondents that admitted that while their sleep could be better, they had yet to work to improve it. Moreover, only 17 percent consistently sleep through the night, with 22 percent of respondents noting they wake up before they would like between five and seven nights a week.
“Over the past few years, many surveys have focused on the negative impact that technology and mobile devices can have on sleep, but our report confirmed that the global factors impacting people’s sleep are much more varied and complex,” said Dr. Teofilo Lee-Chiong, M.D., chief medical liaison for Philips. “And, while it’s refreshing to see people around the world equally valuing sleep as critical to their overall health, there’s clearly more that people can be doing to ensure they’re on a path to a better night’s sleep.”
While an estimated 80 percent of patients with OSA remain undiagnosed, many patients’ sleep issues might have to do with psychological issues as they do physiologically. And one of the key concerns keeping respondents awake at night is the economy.
Among a list of 13 factors worrying respondents, survey-takers selected work (25 percent) and financial or economic issues (28 percent) as their most common sleep disruptors. Also, while 67 percent of people around the world sleep with a mobile phone within reach, only 21 percent said technology was a sleep disruptor.
“Our report indicates how psychological factors can impact sleep, and how those factors can change depending on the times in which we live,” said Dr. Mark Aloia, senior director of global clinical research for Philips. “Combating stress is critical to a good night’s sleep, but the toughest part for people is often just getting motivated to make changes. These data further demonstrate that sleep needs to be viewed and treated holistically, with both technology and lifestyle solutions that work together to promote better health.”