According to one report, the Corona 19 epidemic has changed people’s daily lives over the past year and has negatively affected the sleep health of Koreans as well.
According to a report released Friday by Royal Philips, 6 out of 10 Koreans suffer from sleep problems. The healthcare company conducted a’Global Sleep Trends After Corona 19′ survey of 13,000 people in 13 countries, including 999 Koreans.
The survey asked questions about sleep health care, including changes in sleep patterns, sleep satisfaction, and sleep improvement efforts since COVID-19.
In the survey, 61% of Koreans said they were under the stress of Corona 19, which was much higher than that of global respondents (48%). Other countries surveyed include the United States, Netherlands, Germany, Brazil, United Kingdom, Singapore, Italy, India, Japan, China, France and Australia.
According to Philips, high stress levels are an important factor in helping people get a good night’s sleep. As mentioned by foreign respondents (24%) and Korean respondents (28%), it was the number one factor that interferes with a good night’s sleep.
According to the survey, 70% of international respondents have had sleep problems since Corona 19. Sleep problems included waking up at night (43%), inability to fall asleep (34%), and difficulty falling asleep (27%).
Compared to foreigners, 62% of Koreans have experienced sleep problems after the outbreak of Corona 19, and it is the reason why they do not sleep after waking up at night (39%), unable to sleep (24%), and difficulty maintaining sleep (17%).
In terms of sleep quality, Korea ranked the lowest among 13 countries.
When asked about sleep satisfaction, 55% of foreign participants expressed satisfaction. However, only 4 out of 10 Koreans said they were satisfied with their sleep, which is well below the global average.
Bedtime in Korea was also shorter than the world average. As a result of the survey, the average sleep time of Koreans on weekdays and weekends was 6.7 hours and 7.4 hours, respectively, which was shorter than the world average of 6.9 and 7.8 hours.
58% of respondents said they were getting enough sleep, but only 35% of South Korean respondents said they were getting enough sleep.
In addition, only 29% of Koreans say they feel refreshed after sleep, which is lower than the global average (59%) and the lowest among the 13 countries surveyed.
“Experts suggest that cell phone use can be a major cause of sleep disturbances,” Phillips said. “According to the survey, 84% of respondents said they used their mobile phone before and after going to bed, a significant increase from the 74% reported in 2020.”
In addition, 55% of Koreans said they use their smartphones as soon as they wake up.
Kim Yoon-jae, head of sleep and respiratory management at Philips Korea, said, “This is a particularly difficult time to maintain a healthy sleep as your lifestyle and biological rhythms change due to Corona 19.” “Getting enough sleep is an essential component of a healthy life.”
Mr. Kim emphasized that if he does not fall asleep continuously, he should seek active diagnosis and treatment at a specialized medical institution.