60 years ago, eight hours of sleep was the norm. Now less than seven is the most common. And this accumulated sleep debt is a symptom of a big problem. No country in the world manages to reach 8 hours Sleep regularly according to Sleep Cycle data. This is worrying for many reasons. The main one, because for an adult to be healthy, he needs from 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night. And almost no one does.

Yes, sleep has become a luxury good. An inaccessible application dedicated to several people. It’s easy to say, but it’s not so easy when we have to find free time to work more than nine hours a day, take care of the family, do chores and of course do everything else like going to the gym or going to the gym. to the movies.. Daily life leaves us little room to sleep.

This trend is also alarming because sleep is so important to health. Many people underestimate its importance. And doing so causes many problems and illnesses, including a weakened immune system, depression, weight gain, high blood pressure, diabetes or an increased chance of heart attack. And most importantly, memory problems. Additionally, you experience irritability, moodiness, and negative mood, as well as a drop in productivity.

If you travel the world and ask different populations how much they sleep, it’s very likely that the majority will tell you less than seven. Published by Public Health Maps and developed by Landgeist with data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Sleep Cycle, these maps measure the average sleep hours of Europeans, Asians, and Americans. As can be seen, the downward trend is striking.

If we look at the map of Europe, we see that most Europeans sleep at least 7 hours. Except for Turkey, which is just below (6:50). Most listened to Finnish and the Dutch, with 7:37 hours of sleep. Ireland and the UK are not far behind: 7:30 and 7:33. And Spanish? Touching the border, as always: 07:13, same as Bulgaria and Romania.

On the map of the United States we see a slightly different pattern. North Americans they sleep an average of 7:19 hours. Well done to them, at least they rest at the recommended hours. A clear difference can be seen between the east and west of the country. They sleep slightly more in parts of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Alaska. By contrast, things are getting worse in Hawaii, Kentucky, Tennessee or West Virginia.

Population density can be an important factor, but so can an unhealthy lifestyle and diet.

Asia is a different world. If there was only one country in Europe that wasn’t getting enough sleep, Only one in Asia does. China is the only country where people sleep more than 7 hours. Hong Kong and Thailand are asleep for close to 7 hours but not quite there. This may be because most cities are much more crowded and also tend to be noisier, which can disrupt sleep. The tropical climate in Southeast Asia isn’t helping either.

Japan and South Korea are the countries that sleep the least. Both less than 6:30 hours. One reason might be the work culture they have. Working overtime is very common in both countries, we have discussed this in detail on Magnet. They have a culture of discipline and excellence. And everything points to overwork as the culprit of a sleepless society. There is actually a Japanese term. karoshi Means “death from overwork”. The problem is so serious that the Japanese government encourages reducing working hours or napping in the office.

As we said before, It is not clear what function sleep has, so it is very difficult to recommend a specific number of hours. However, although it is complex, we try to create it in this article. a frame of reference With different opinions of experts, we can find a range of indicators that vary by age.

We also discussed what sleep hygiene is all about and what factors can improve our quality of rest at Magnet. For example, have a set routine, try to exercise regularly, do not use electronic devices at least half an hour before bedtime, minimize noise and light interruptions in the room, and optimize the temperature. Experts also recommend not to overeat and not to eat too much before bed.