World Sleep Day – So Schlaf die Welt

“Sleep is essential for health” – this is the theme of the World Sleep Day 2023. But how well does the world actually sleep? We'll show you how sleeping habits differ in different countries and cultures around the world and in which places people sleep particularly well.

Table of contents

1. World Sleep Day – World Sleep Day
2. So Sleeps the World
1. sleep duration
2. sleeping times
3. sleep quality
3. Restful sleep anywhere in the world

1. World Sleep Day

Sleep is a fundamental part of our lives and has an important role in our health and daily well-being. The World Sleep Day is an annual day of action organized by the World Sleep Society to raise awareness of sleep. This year, the campaign day on March 17th was held under the theme "Sleep is essential for health". We are 100% behind this motto and are happy that we are smartsleep can help support healthy sleep every day.

Because we all need to sleep, no matter how old we are, which gender we have or in which country we live. And depending on the living or cultural area we are in, there are also interesting differences in sleeping habits! We will now show you what differences and similarities there are when it comes to sleep in different regions of the world.

2. So Sleeps the World

sleep duration

Sleep experts generally recommend sleeping 7 to 8 hours per night. How long we sleep can also depend on our geographical location, the prevailing climate, cultural circumstances and social environment. The lighting conditions where we live or the professional and social structure of our daily lives also have an influence on bedtimes and determine, for example, when we have to get up in the morning and go to work or school.

According to a study, the average global sleep duration in 2021 was 7 hours and 9 minutes - and the trend is decreasing! Women sleep on average about 15 minutes longer than men. The shortest sleep duration worldwide was observed in Indonesia, Japan and Malaysia. Here, people only slept an average of up to 6 hours 46 minutes per night. People in Belgium, the Netherlands and Ireland sleep the longest - namely an average of around 7 hours and 30 minutes per night. In Germany, the average sleep duration is around 7 hours and 20 minutes, which is even above the global average.

sleeping times

Our sleep-wake rhythm is based on the natural course of the day, so sunrise and sunset also influence our sleeping behavior. In warmer countries, there is often a longer rest period around midday, during which a short nap is also taken, such as the traditional Spanish siesta. Researchers therefore suspect that the internal clock influences tiredness and bedtime in the evening depending on local conditions, while the time of getting up depends heavily on social obligations.

The earliest sleep and wake times were found in the USA, Belgium, Australia and Denmark. People in Spain, Italy and Brazil go to bed relatively late compared to the rest of the world and therefore get up a little later in the morning. Germany, France and Japan are in the middle range when it comes to sleep times.The average German goes to bed shortly after 11:15 p.m. and gets up between 7:00 and 7:15 a.m. the next day.

sleep quality

Getting enough sleep does not always mean that the night is really restful. Nowadays we sleep much less than we used to and more and more people are suffering from serious sleep disorders. As we know, however, the quality of sleep depends not only on personal circumstances but also on many external influences and can therefore vary in different places in the world.

The “City Sleep Index 2020”, for example, examined which cities around the world have the best places to sleep. In addition to common factors such as physical health, consumer behavior, caffeine, nicotine and alcohol, local circumstances such as the job and financial situation and environmental influences such as light, noise and air pollution were also taken into account. The result of the study: According to the study, people sleep best in Amsterdam, Auckland and Glasgow. The worst sleep, however, was measured in the major cities of Sao Paulo, Tokyo and Los Angeles. In Germany, Dresden and Munich performed best, coming in 7th and 8th place in the global comparison.

3. Sleep well anywhere in the world

No matter where you come from or what circumstances you live in, the most important thing when it comes to sleep is to find the right rhythm for you and to adapt to your own sleep needs. With a good sleep hygiene We can definitely help you to get enough restful sleep – even under difficult conditions, in hectic, noisy cities or when the alarm clock regularly rings too early.

4. Conclusion

• The World Sleep Day 2023 will be held under the motto "Sleep is essential for health".

• Sleep habits vary in different parts of the world, especially in sleep duration, sleep times and sleep quality.

• Sleeping habits in Germany are in the good middle range. The best places to sleep are in the cities of Dresden and Munich.