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Every third Dane getting too little sleep

admin
January 30th, 2015


This article is more than 9 years old.

36 percent getting less than recommended 7-8 hours

Whether it’s down to stress, shrieking children or late-night shenanigans, every third Dane doesn’t get the 7-8 hours of sleep recommended by sleep researchers.

According to an Epinion survey composed for DR Nyheder, 34 percent of the 1,030 people aged 18 or over said they on average got 5-6 hours of sleep per night, while 2 percent only for 3-4 hours of shuteye. And in the long-term, a lack of sleep can be downright unhealthy say a proportion of experts.

“We don’t just need sleep to be ready for the next day,” Alice Clark, a sleep researcher at the Department of Public Health at the University of Copenhagen, told DR Nyheder.

“There are also lots of bodily functions that are restored during sleep, including the immune system, metabolism and cardiovascular system.”

READ MORE: Danish research: Answering emails in bed ruins your working day

Health issues
The survey found that 56 percent of Danes slept the recommended 7-8 hours per night, while 7 percent slept more than 8 hours. About 0.4 percent said they only slept 1-2 hours.

There are a number of illnesses that are more prevalent in people who sleep too little, including cardiovascular diseases, heart attacks, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. A lack of sleep is also connected to stress.


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