6 sleep stats that might surprise you

The power of a good night’s sleep shouldn’t be underestimated. Every minute of sleep counts; from the moment you lay your head down to the minute you wake up, you’re giving your body and mind the time it needs to recharge, stay healthy, and facilitate the immunity needed to stave off everything from seasonal nasties to longer term ailments and diseases.

The benefits of sleep are pretty surprising, with sleep playing a crucial role in every aspect of your health and wellbeing. But here are six stats that may help to really persuade you of the value in prioritising quality sleep.

1. The average person spends 26 years of their life sleeping…

Those recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night certainly add up! Over a lifetime, the average person will spend 26 years of their lives asleep. That means you’ll spend 9,490 days or 227,760 hours snoozing!

Making good quality sleep a part of your everyday, however, isn’t a waste of time. Sleep quality and quantity can affect everything from immunity and weight management to your concentration levels and fertility.

2. …and another 7 years trying to fall asleep!

In addition to spending 26 years of your life asleep, you’ll spend another 7 years trying to fall asleep. Establishing a good bedtime routine is the key to spending less time trying to fall asleep and more time enjoying your slumber.

Make relaxing activities such as meditation, reading or having a candle-lit bath a part of your evenings to help prepare your body and mind for a better night’s sleep. Avoid caffeine, alcohol and screen time in the hours before bedtime too.

3. There are some people who don’t need much sleep at all

It’s recommended that adults sleep for seven hours or more each night, but some people need far less to survive. Affecting just 1% of the world’s population, short sleeper syndrome (SSS) is a disorder that causes sufferers to need as little as four hours of sleep per night. However, this approach is not recommended, as functioning well isn’t necessarily the same as optimising health.

4. The world record for staying awake is 11 days and 25 minutes

Whilst we wouldn’t recommend this either, the human body can go a surprisingly long time without sleep. The current world record holder went the best part of two weeks without sleeping at the age of 17 in the 1960s. However, if you think that this makes sleep less important, bear this in mind: you can go significantly longer without food than you can without sleep.

5. The happiest nation in the world also sleeps more

The connection between a great night’s sleep and better mental health has been long established, so it should come as no surprise that Finland – a.k.a. the happiest nation on Earth – enjoys more sleep on average than many other countries. Finnish people tend to enjoy 7 hours and 5 minutes of sleep every night.

In case you were wondering, the last estimate suggested that the UK average was down at 6 hours and 18 minutes.

6.  The world is sleeping more soundly after Covid-19

The Covid-19 pandemic affected many parts of our lives. Years after its peak, the pandemic has been proven to have a positive impact on the way we sleep. According to this study, the average sleep duration of most countries surveyed increased by between 11.3 and 18.6 minutes per week night post-pandemic.

The best sleep happens on a high quality mattress, so check out Perks range now. You can also explore the rest of our blog for more sleep news and tips.