“There is no optimal amount of sleep that suits everyone,” can we read on the government site Santé.fr. In fact, the ideal amount of sleep for an adult varies from 7 to 10 hours per night, divided into 4 to 6 cycles of approximately 90 minutes. However, having a restful sleep is essential to stay healthy, because as Dr. Remi Lombard, specialist in sleep disorders at the Flanders Clinic, explains in a recent Resmed press release, “people whose sleep disorders are not treated have a greater risk of developing other health problems: high blood pressure, heart disease, or even diabetes”.
A survey carried out by the medical equipment company Resmed between December 2023 and January 2024 looked at the average duration of sleep of the French each night by comparing them to 16 other countries in the world. To carry out the survey, 36,000 people were interviewed.
Sleep: what is the average duration in France?
Bad news for the French, according to the results of the survey, they are not getting enough sleep. Indeed, France is one of the 14 countries below the recommendations of the National Institute of Sleep and Vigilance (INSV), which recommends sleeping at least 7 hours per night. But then, how long do the French sleep? As the Resmed investigation indicates, the French fall into the arms of Morpheus 6 hours 48 minutes per night.
Among the last three countries most affected by lack of sleep we find the United States (6h36 of sleep), the United Kingdom (6h29 of sleep) and Japan (6h27 of sleep). Conversely, on the podium of the best-off countries is Hong Kong with an average of 7h04 of sleep per night, India with a duration of sleep of 7h02 per night, then Thailand, with an average of 7h01 of sleep by night. The results of the survey therefore highlight a “global sleep crisis”. In fact, nearly 4 out of 10 people in the world estimate that they only get one to three “good nights” of sleep per week. In France, 3 out of 10 people surveyed said they used medication to help them sleep.
What are the factors that most impact sleep?
Several causes of sleep disruption were mentioned by the 37,000 people around the world interviewed for the survey. Among them, we find anxiety for 42% of them, work-related stress for 27% of participants and financial pressures for 25% of them. But that’s not all, other factors suddenly come into play at night, especially those of women affected by menopause. Indeed, (pre)menopausal French women say they are mainly impacted by the following problems: disrupted or interrupted sleep (47%), poor sleep quality (37%) and night sweats or nocturnal hot flashes (37%). .
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is also a common disorder that affects people of all ages, and can affect sleep. It is therefore essential to diagnose it as early as possible.
Sources:
- Global sleep crisis: the French sleep more than their neighbors, but not enough – ResMed Survey
- Do you really need to sleep 8 hours a night to be healthy? – Governmental Site Santé.fr