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According to a global study on sleep conducted using connected sensors, the French are not the most to be pitied, on the recovery side. Good news on this International Sleep Day, when we know that insomnia can lead to many pathologies, such as depression or obesity.
Lack of sleep and its consequences: this is the concern of thousands of people around the world. But how long do we really sleep? On the occasion of the international day of sleep, this March 17, the company Withings, leader in connected health, unveils a global study on the sleep of 75,000 users around the world, thanks to its Sleep Analyzer. The measurements were made by age and socio-professional category: those under 25, active people between 25 and 65 and retirees over 65.
The French among the best sleepers in the world
Among the revelations of this study that concern us directly, one piece of data is surprising, since it goes against the generally accepted idea that we all sleep quite badly. But according to the measurements taken, the French are nevertheless positioned among the best sleepers, alongside the Finns with 7h38 of sleep for working people aged 25 to 65 against 7h26 for the international average, i.e. 12 additional minutes! Conversely, the most “insomniacs” are the Norwegians, with only 7h15 of average sleep time for working people between 25 and 65 years old, followed by the Americans (7h16), and the Australians (7h20).
Other French data paint a less contrasting picture than it seems:
- The under 25s sleep an average of 7:49 hours during the week and 8:08 hours at the weekend, they go to bed 44 minutes later at the weekend and sleep 1:09 more than on weekdays;
- Active people between 25 and 65 years old sleep 7h57 during the weekend, ie 19 minutes more than on weekdays, they go to bed 27 minutes later on weekends and get out of bed 1h01 later;
- Retirees over 65, meanwhile, sleep an average of 7h41, only 3 minutes more than working people, and 7:42 a.m. during the weekend, i.e. 1 minute more only on weekdays.
The French would also be classified among the most “late sleepers” with a bedtime among working people around 11:33 p.m.
You don’t sleep much in retirement
These recent Withings data also show that people over 65 do not generally take advantage of their retirement to rest. Indeed, the smallest gap (at the global level) is between active and retired people. Among the 75,000 users combined, in the middle of the week and on weekends, working people go to bed on average at 11:22 p.m., while retirees go to bed at 11:21 p.m. They sleep on average only 10 minutes more than active people! Conversely, it is the youngest who sleep the most.
Consult a doctor online for your sleep disorders
Sleep, a data to monitor to maintain health
Still, getting enough sleep doesn’t necessarily mean getting quality sleep. Insomnia and sleep apnea often punctuate the nights of many French people and can have consequences on cardiovascular health, weight or mental health. A subject that comes up regularly in the Doctissimo pages: over the past few weeks, new studies have updated the action of good sleep on life expectancy, as well as on the immune system.
So if you feel tired when you get up, drowsiness during the day, if you suffer from untimely awakenings, or if you suspect sleep apnea, do not hesitate to consult.