We often think of sleeplessness as a quintessentially American tradition, wrought by our work-centric culture, long hours and stressful lives. But according to a new survey, the problem is an international one and trending poorly, with UK adults getting less sleep than they did a year ago.


In fact, they're getting troublingly little sleep: 65 percent are sleeping an average of just six hours and 27 minutes every night[1] , according to the survey, which was conducted by the hotel company Travelodge.


That's just over 30 minutes shy of the general recommendation that adults should aim for seven to nine hours of slumber a night[2] . Get less than those seven hours and you put yourself at risk for a whole host of health consequences[3] that range from worrisome to lethal, including memory and heart problems, increased cancer and diabetes risk and earlier death.


But with a number of cultures falling prey to an around-the-clock work schedule, how do we make time for sleep?


Turns out, we might be doing a better job than you might expect. In 2009, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), a France-based group that aims to promote democracy and a market economy[4] , compiled available data from its 30 member nations on time use[5] , including how much time the average person spent asleep.






Sources: OECD, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Statistics New Zealand, United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, Statistics Canada, Japanese Time Use Survey[8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13]

China recorded the most sleep[14] , with more than nine hours of sleep, according to a 2011 OECD report. Could that have something to do with the highly-accepted practice of public sleeping[15] ?


Japan, on the other hand, gets the least, with seven hours and 14 minutes of shut-eye each weekday. Time spent sleeping has been steadily declining[16] since the 1970s, according to the 2010 time use report -- and Internet use has been on the up and up[17] .


Other countries, like Spain, may be benefitting from a daily nap. The famed Spanish siestas were long built in to the typical work day[18] , although some have been forced to forgo a nap[19] in times of economic crisis.


Despite how often Americans are told we're not sleeping enough, the latest U.S. statistics suggest we're getting nearly eight and a half hours a night[20] .


Granted, some of the available data is from 2006 -- or earlier. It's probably safe to say many nations are averaging less sleep in 2013, as technology has only become more disruptive[21] . It's also important to note that a Travelodge survey doesn't exactly replicate a nation-wide survey conducted by a country's bureau of statistics. Case in point: Those six-hour nights the Brits are reportedly logging are a far cry from the 503 minutes -- over eight hours! -- recorded in 2005. Whether UK adults have truly cut back on shut-eye this dramatically will have to be verified by a future governmental time use survey. But in the meantime, tell us what you think -- does your country get enough sleep?





Loading Slideshow...



  • ...Increase Stroke Risk


    Even without the typical risk factors, like being overweight or having a family history, short sleep can up your risk for stroke, according to 2012 research. Adults who regularly slept fewer than six hours a night had <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/11/sleep-stroke-risk_n_1586837.html">four times the risk of stroke symptoms</a>, HuffPost reported.




  • ...Lead To Obesity


    Too little sleep can spur some less-than-ideal food choices, including <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/25/sleep-portion-sizes-deprivation-food-calories_n_2735497.html">serving yourself larger portions</a>, and a hankering for junk food, thanks to some complicated hormonal changes that occur when you don't get sufficient shuteye. It seems that six hours of sleep or less <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/26/sleep-deprivation-obesity-leptin-ghrelin-insulin_n_2007043.html">bumps up production of the hunger hormone ghrelin</a> and limits leptin, which helps you balance your food intake, according to a 2012 review of 18 studies of sleep and appetite.




  • ...Up Diabetes Risk


    A pair of small studies from 2012 examined the link between poor sleep and insulin resistance, a telltale risk factor for diabetes. One found that among healthy teenagers, the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/03/sleep-insulin-resistance-teens_n_1929374.html">shortest sleepers had the highest insulin resistance</a>, meaning the body is <a href="http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/insulinresistance/#resistance">not using insulin effectively</a>, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. The second study examined fat cells, in particular, and found that cutting back on sleep <a href="http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1379773">increased insulin resistance in these cells</a>, even when <a href="http://news.health.com/2012/10/15/sleep-deprivation-insulin-resistance/">diet and calorie intake were restricted</a>, Health.com reported.




  • ...Fuel Memory Loss


    You probably know that on the days when you are most tired, you're forgetful and unfocused -- but sleep deprivation can lead to <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130127134212.htm"><em>permanent</em> cognitive issues</a>. The less we sleep, the less we benefit from the memory-storing properties of sleep. But additionally, a lack of sleep can cause <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/28/sleep-deprivation-memory-loss_n_2566999.html">"brain deterioration,"</a> according to a 2013 study, which may at least in part explain memory loss in seniors.




  • ...Damage Bones


    At least in rats, long-term <a href="http://ebm.rsmjournals.com/content/237/9/1101.full">sleep deprivation seems to contribute to osteoporosis</a>, according to a 2012 study. Researchers found <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/26/sleep-deprivation-bones-marrow_n_1898610.html">changes to bone mineral density and bone marrow</a> in the rodents when they were deprived of shuteye over a period of 72 days. "If true in humans, and I expect that it may be, this work will have great impact on our understanding of <a href="http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-09/sfeb-los_1091812.php">the impact of sleep deprivation on osteoporosis</a> and inability to repair bone damage as we age," Steven R. Goodman, Ph.D., editor-in-chief of Experimental Biology and Medicine, said in a statement.




  • ...Increase Cancer Risk


    A small (but growing) body of research suggests that short and poor sleep can up risk for certain types of cancer. A 2010 study found that among 1,240 people screened for colorectal cancer, the 338 who were diagnosed were <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cncr.25507/abstract">more likely to average fewer than six hours of sleep</a> a night. Even after controlling for more traditional risk factors, polyps were more common in people who slept less, according to the study. Getting just six hours of sleep a night has also been linked to an <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/06/sleep-breast-cancer-aggressive-deprivation_n_1854658.html">increase of recurrence in breast cancer patients</a>. The study's author has pointed to more and better sleep as a possible pathway of reducing risk and recurrence.




  • ...Hurt Your Heart


    The stress and strain of too little sleep can cause the body to produce more of the chemicals and hormones that can lead to heart disease, according to 2011 research. The study found that people who slept for six hours or less each night and have problems staying asleep had a 48 percent <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110208091426.htm">higher risk of developing or dying from heart disease</a>.




  • ...Kill You


    It's not just heart problems that can lead to sleep-deprivation-related death. In fact, <a href="http://healthland.time.com/2010/09/02/lack-of-sleep-can-cause-depression-weight-gain-and-even-death/">short sleepers seem to die younger</a> of any cause than people who sleep about 6.5 to 7.5 hours a night, TIME reported. A 2010 study examined the impact of short sleep on mortality and found that <a href="http://www.journalsleep.org/ViewAbstract.aspx?pid=27894">men who slept for less than six hours of sleep a night were four times more likely</a> to die over a 14-year period. The study's authors called this link "a risk that has been underestimated."




  • Related Video