Sleeping Lions: From The Office to The Club, Study Reveals the Surprising Places that Brits Fall Asleep
LONDON, UK – 22nd November 2023 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd: The UK is a nation of restless sleepers, with over a fifth (22%) of adults confessing to accidentally snoozing at work.
In fact, Samsung’s 2023 Global Sleep Health Study[1] – the latest global study of its kind analysing 716 million nights of sleep behaviours from Samsung Health users worldwide – revealed the UK is the country with the lowest sleep efficiency[2] in Europe.
The study categorises various types of sleepers into eight ‘Sleep Animals’ based on sleep patterns[3]. The Sleep Animals each represent unique characteristics based on measuring the Galaxy Watch users sleep duration, consistency, and awake time – all of which influence sleep quality.
Move over ‘early birds’, as the most common sleep persona in the UK1 is the light-sleeping Nervous Penguin, defined as those who maintain healthy circadian rhythms yet frequently experience interruptions during sleep, in turn affecting sleep efficiency.
And when it comes to sleep-haps, the UK’s poor sleep isn’t just affecting adults at work, with new research by Samsung (for the launch of the Galaxy Watch6), revealing that in the cinema (29%), on the toilet (10%), and even at the club (12%) are some of the other unexpected spots where the nation is nodding off.
So, what’s causing adults to start dozing at these inconvenient moments? 45% of the nation admit that they stay up too late, with the average bedtime for UK adults being 11:54PM1.
A further 32% of the UK say working too hard is stopping them from getting much-needed rest, followed by 25% of adults who say overindulging in food is to blame.
And sleep disruptions don’t just lie with Brits, as globally the average sleep duration has dropped from 7 hours and 3 minutes to 6 hours and 59 minutes, falling below the recommended 7-hour threshold set by the National Sleep Foundation1.
Sleep debt, which measures the sleep inconsistency that indexes the gap between the amount of sleep during weekdays compared to the weekend, and is a key contributor to global sleep issues as sleep consistency plays a major role in how sleep quality is determined. Globally, young adults in their 20s have nearly double the sleep debt compared to those in their 70s: 49 minutes versus 29 minutes, respectively1
In a society plagued by these bedtime battles, new research reveals that 1 in 4 (25%) of adults now dread bedtime as they know they will struggle to get to sleep. From avoiding caffeine (43%) to taking sleep medication (17%), Brits have tried it all to get a good night’s sleep, yet only 12% use a smartwatch to monitor their sleeping patterns.
But, interestingly, the number of people actively tracking sleep each week in 2023 increased 182% from 2021, according to Samsung Health app data, indicating more users are putting sleep as a priority and trying to improve it.
And with 30% of UK adults interested in learning more about their sleep personality, Samsung has partnered with Dr Julie Smith to reveal how the Samsung Sleep Animal personas on the Galaxy Watch6 can be the key to unlocking a better night’s sleep.
Dr Julie Smith, Clinical Psychologist, Author, and Content Creator, said, “If you fall asleep during the day without intending to, that is a clear sign of not getting enough sleep at night to stay healthy. This research suggests we could all do with working on improving our poor habits when it comes to our bedtime routines. But to do this we need to have a good understanding of our sleeping habits. From the sensitive hedgehog to the nervous penguin, the sleep personas on the Galaxy Watch6 offer an enjoyable lens to monitor your sleeping patterns, alongside actionable tips for better rest.”
Annika Bizon, Marketing and Omnichannel Director for Samsung UK, added, “Samsung is committed to understanding sleep health better, and through analysing the sleep patterns of millions worldwide, we’re able to understand how technology can play a role in helping people establish healthier habits. To start improving the quality of your sleep, understanding how you sleep is key, and the Galaxy Watch6 offers actionable tips to help users to overcome bad habits.”
To help all Brits to maintain a steady sleeping pattern all week long, Dr Julie shares her top tips, including how to use the Galaxy Watch6 to reach sleep success:
- The best way to change unhealthy habits around sleep is to get clear on the things you are doing that contribute to that later bedtime, from the bigger things down to the smaller details. When I set myself the challenge of improving my own habits around sleep, I tracked my sleep using the Samsung Galaxy Watch6. It’s able to categorise sleepers based on unique characteristics that affect your sleep quality, using your results to liken your sleep to a particular animal, which is a fun way to remind you of what areas you need to work on.
- Once you have an idea of the habits that cause you to stay up late, target those one at a time. Start with something that feels easy to change and make that sustainable over time. This will build some momentum, so you will be less likely to give up and you’ll start to feel the benefits of improved sleep much sooner. Once that new habit is established, then move on to work on the others.
- Keep tracking your new habits and your sleep for longer than you think is necessary. It is extremely easy to slip back into those old ways when your goals are not at the forefront of your mind. It also helps to keep you motivated and on track each time see that your new habits are leading to better sleep.
The new Samsung Galaxy Watch6 series provides powerful insights that can lead to positive changes around the clock, offering personalised and actionable tips, advice, and encouragement. Recognising that better health begins with better sleep, Samsung is helping users optimise their night in the same way they optimise their day.
To learn more about Samsung’s Global Sleep Health Study, please visit: Have We Been Sleeping Well? Samsung Answers the Age-Old Question With the Global Sleep Health Study
[1] Samsung’s Global Sleep Health Study, analysing 716M nights of sleep behaviours from Samsung Health users worldwide – https://news.samsung.com/global/have-we-been-sleeping-well-samsung-answers-the-age-old-question-with-the-global-sleep-health-study
[2] Defined as the amount of time spent in bed relative to the amount of actual sleep.
[3] Requires sleep data of at least 7 days, including 2 days off. See overview of Sleep Animals chart in Editors notes.
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