37% of Koreans Experience Sleeplessness Three Times a Week... The Cause is Stress

According to a survey, 4 out of 10 Koreans do not get a good night's sleep at least three times a week.

Global sleep solution company ResMed released the results of the "5th Annual Global Sleep Health Survey" on the 2nd, which included this information. The survey was conducted with a total of 30,026 people from 13 countries worldwide, including 1,500 Koreans.

The survey results showed that respondents worldwide do not get sufficient sleep for an average of about three days per week. Approximately 30% of respondents globally reported having difficulty falling asleep or maintaining good sleep three or more times a week. In Korea, this figure was 37%.

The main cause of insufficient sleep was stress (57% globally, 67% in Korea). This was followed by ▲anxiety (46% globally, 49% in Korea) ▲financial pressure (31% globally, 22% in Korea).

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By gender, women were found to have lower sleep quality than men. The average number of quality sleep days per week for female respondents (3.83 days globally, 3.38 days in Korea) was lower than that of males (4.13 days globally, 3.82 days in Korea). The proportion of those having difficulty sleeping was also higher among women at 38%, compared to 29% for men. This is analyzed to be due to hormonal changes such as menopause affecting sleep.

Seventy-one percent of working respondents worldwide reported having taken sick leave at least once due to lack of sleep during their work life. India had the highest rate at 94%, followed by China (78%), Singapore (73%), and the United States (70%). In contrast, Korea remained at 53%.

Nevertheless, the majority were found not to take active measures to improve sleep health. In Korea, 17% of people said they endure sleep deprivation without taking action.

Dr. Carlos Nunez, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of ResMed, said, "Sleep is as important to health as diet and exercise, yet millions still suffer."

He added, "Chronic sleep deprivation negatively affects relationships and workplace productivity and increases the risk of serious health problems such as cognitive decline, mood disorders, heart failure, and stroke."

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