Not sleeping enough? Well, you are not alone.
According to a recent survey by Jawbone, a company that makes the Up, a wristband that tracks your sleep patterns, Singaporeans are third in the world for having the least amount of sleep every day, tying with people in Dubai and Mexico, at 6 hours and 32 minutes.
Residents of Tokyo and Seoul seem to have it worse, clocking only 5 hours and 46 minutes, and 5 hours and 55 minutes respectively. On the other hand, people in Melbourne enjoyed the most time in bed, with 7 hours and 5 minutes.
With the optimal number of sleep hours being at least seven, it seems no one around the world is getting enough sleep. Those in the top five barely sleep past the required number of hours.
It comes as no surprise that those living in the Asian metropolitans have the least sleep, having been known for its extensive nightlife and it’s culture of overworking. Singaporeans have clocked in around 500 hours more in work time than our German counterparts in a year. In Japan and Seoul, there is even a term for “death by overworking”: Karoshi in Japanese, Gwarosa in Korean.
Also read: What’s the point in working yourself to death?
Not having enough sleep can cause many problems, including obesity, diabetes and heart problems. For children, the lack of sleep could cause problems to their growth and brain development.
The survey was only done among Up users, however, and may not be completely conclusive of the general sleep pattern for any city. Also, at USD150, Up’s target audience could be limited to busy yuppies and workaholics, or simply people who feel the need to improve their sleeping habits.
Nevertheless, reviews such as the ones on CNET and The Guardian have given the tracking device the thumbs up, acknowledging its accuracy and user-friendliness – thus it’s popularity despite the steep pricing. Hopefully with its personalized information on how to improve one’s sleep by tracking one’s sleep patterns, users will be able to get a longer and more restful sleep. Singaporeans especially.
There are even new apps released recently by Jawbone to download that works to improve one’s sleep. The new Up software released this year works with both Up wearable devices to understand your activity patterns throughout the day and sleep patterns at night, draw correlations between the two, and drops you notifications as tips on how to adjust your activity throughout the day to ensure better sleep at night. In addition, the Up coffee app tracks one’s caffeine intake to monitor sleep loss and ways to avoid insomnia.
Even if you don’t own a Up wearable, the data is a high-time reminder for us to get more sleep and stay healthy. It’s time to hit the stack before we age faster.
Also read: Not Getting Enough Sleep Can Lead to False Memories