A December 2024 survey by finder.com.au (Australia) found that about 71% of Australians have difficulty getting a good night's sleep.
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| A healthy adult should sleep 7-9 hours every night. (Illustration photo. Source: Internet) |
Of those surveyed, 33% had trouble falling asleep, 18% woke up frequently to use the bathroom during the night, 11% were bothered by their partner's snoring, 6% were woken up by small children, and 8% had sleep apnea. Only 29% had no sleep problems.
According to the survey, on average Australians sleep 6.9 hours per night.
While the Finder survey found 75 per cent of Australians are sleep deprived, Alexandra Shriane, a sleep researcher at the Appleton Institute at Central Queensland University, said the real figure could be much higher because many people miscalculate their sleep time, such as the time they spend in bed not necessarily the time they actually sleep.
According to Shriane, a healthy adult should sleep between 7 and 9 hours a night. People who sleep less than 7 hours are prone to serious health problems because their bodies and brains can be adversely affected by chronic sleep deprivation. On the other hand, people who sleep more than 9 hours may have an underlying disease or sleep disorder.
Children need more sleep than adults, and the amount varies depending on their stage of development, says Shriane. Young children need 11 to 14 hours of sleep a day, while teenagers need 8 to 10 hours. Seniors over 65 typically need only 7 to 8 hours. Women may also need more sleep than men. People with certain health conditions may also need more sleep.
In addition to the number of hours you sleep, the quality of your sleep is also important. If someone is constantly tired, lacking energy, or feeling sleepy in the afternoon, it means that their sleep quality is a problem. Even small signs like frequent colds, unusual cravings, or constant mood swings can indicate that the body is not getting enough sleep.
Short-term sleep deprivation can affect the immune system, the ability to process information, control emotions, and even cause intense cravings, says Shriane. If the condition persists, the effects can be cumulative and difficult to reverse, making it difficult to maintain a healthy weight, increasing the risk of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, cognitive problems such as dementia, and even some forms of cancer.
Ms Shriane believes that in addition to nutrition and physical activity, sleep plays an important role in health. Therefore, she advises people to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends, avoid naps or if they do, only take 15-20 minutes in the early afternoon, do not drink coffee 6-8 hours before going to bed, limit alcohol and tobacco, especially in the 4 hours before going to bed, relax before bed and avoid bright light 1-2 hours before going to bed, keep the bedroom dark, quiet, cool, the ideal temperature is 16-20oC. If you are still tossing and turning after 20 minutes, get out of bed and relax in a space with soft light.
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