Singaporeans clock in an average of just 6.56 hours of sleep per night, making them one of the poorest sleepers in the world. Only the Japanese and Indians sleep less than Singaporeans. This is according to data collected by fitness-tracking firm Fitbit, Todayonline reported on March 17, 2017.
Other Asian countries like Hong Kong, Korea and Taiwan were also near the bottom, while the top were dominated by European countries and Australia. New Zealanders clock in the most amount of sleep, with an average of 7.25 hours a night, Fitbit’s findings showed.
The data was compiled from anonymous and aggregated data from its users from 18 countries between January to December last year, 2016.
In Singapore, Fitbit currently holds an 85 percent market share for activity trackers, according to market research institute GFK.
Forty-four percent of Singaporeans have insufficient sleep on weekdays, according to a study by SingHealth Polyclinics released in January this year. The study defined sleep insufficiency as having less than seven hours of sleep a day.
The SingHealth study covered 350 adult Singapore citizens and permanent residents from various ethnic groups aged 21 to 80, who visited two polyclinics in 2015. Insufficient sleep during weekdays was significantly associated with the use of digital devices, home environment, employment status, and consumption habits, the study found.
SingHealth warned that insufficient sleep can increase the risk of mental, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Some common ailments that are associated with lack of sleep include obesity, diabetes and hypertension, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
