Which culture gets the best sleep?

Asked by: Prof. Domingo Bashirian III  |  Last update: April 5, 2026
Score: 4.9/5 (23 votes)

No single culture has the "best" sleep, but Northern Europeans (like Finns and Dutch), along with people in New Zealand and Australia, consistently rank high for sleep duration and quality, often due to strong work-life balance, outdoor focus, and consistent routines, while cultures in East Asia (like Japan and South Korea) often struggle with less sleep due to demanding work cultures. Nordic cultures emphasize balance (like the Swedish "lagom"), and New Zealand benefits from less noise/light pollution, while the Dutch prioritize sleep as a healthy activity.

What culture gets the best sleep?

For those of you that are curious how this compares to the rest of the world. New Zealanders get the highest amount of sleep, 7:41. Making Finland and the Netherlands the global no. 2. Japanese get the lowest amount of sleep, 6:18. Almost all of the European countries are in the top half of the world.

What country gets the best sleep?

1. Netherlands. The Netherlands ranks at or near the top of global sleep studies, with residents averaging just over eight hours per night. Work schedules tend to end earlier than in many industrialized nations, which supports consistent bedtimes on both weekdays and weekends.

What is the sleepiest country in the world?

New Zealand🇳🇿 is the world's sleepiest nation - getting an average of 7 hours and 27 minutes each night. Meanwhile, people in Japan🇯🇵 get the least rest — just 5 hours and 52 minutes per night, on average.

Do Americans get good sleep?

The typical American adult is not their Best Slept Self®. 6 out of every 10 adults don't get enough sleep. Nearly 4 in 10 adults have trouble falling asleep 3 or more nights per week.

Are naps actually good for us? | Sleeping with Science

21 related questions found

Why does Gen Z sleep late?

Gen Z stays up late due to the powerful combination of digital immersion (social media, streaming), the blue light from screens disrupting sleep hormones, constant mental stimulation, high stress/anxiety about finances and academics, FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), and Revenge Bedtime Procrastination (sacrificing sleep for personal time). Their "always-on" culture, coupled with internal pressures, creates an overstimulated brain and a cycle of delayed sleep, making them the most sleep-deprived generation, says a Sleep Foundation article and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
 

Who sleeps for 90% of the day?

The koala is famous for sleeping around 90% of the day, dozing for 18-22 hours due to its low-energy eucalyptus diet, but other animals like sloths, bats, and armadillos also sleep extensively, often around 19-20 hours daily, while some pet owners report their golden retrievers sleep that much too, though it's less common in the wild.
 

Which race sleeps the least?

Regarding short sleep, those who identified as Black/African American were about twice as likely to be short sleepers, and those who identified as Asian/ other were approximately two and a half times as likely. Mexican Americans were 60% less likely to be long sleepers.

What city doesn't sleep in the US?

The City That Never Sleeps is a ubiquitously used nickname and advertising slogan for New York City. Photographer Jacob Riis describes The Bowery as never sleeping in his 1898 book Out of Mulberry Street: Stories of Tenement Life in New York City.

How many hours does Elon Musk sleep?

Elon Musk sleeps around six hours a night, typically going to bed at 3 a.m. and waking around 9 a.m., though he has worked extreme hours in the past and now makes an effort to get at least this minimum for better productivity, noting that less sleep leads to "brain pain" and decreased output. He's described himself as "fairly nocturnal" and previously worked unsustainable hours, even sleeping at his factories, but now prioritizes these six hours to maintain performance. 

What cultures nap the most?

Siestas are historically common throughout the Mediterranean and Southern Europe, the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia and mainland China. The siesta is an old tradition in Spain and, through Spanish influence, in most of Latin America and the Philippines.

What is the 3-3-3 rule for insomnia?

The 3-3-3 Rule works by focusing on 3 things you can see, 3 things you can hear, and 3 ways you can move your body.

What nation sleeps the least?

Key Findings

  • Australia has the highest percentage of long sleepers (8.60%), and Iran has the lowest (1.32%).
  • Qatar has the highest percentage of short sleepers (36.64%), and the Netherlands has the lowest (6.34%).
  • In the U.S., just 70.14% of the population achieves the recommended level of sleep.

Why is the US against cosleeping?

Research has shown that sharing a bed with an infant significantly increases the chances of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and other sleep-related dangers. That's why experts caution against this practice, urging parents to consider safer alternatives for their baby's well-being.

How long do Filipinos sleep?

Filipinos average just 6.15 hours of rest each night—far below the recommended 7 to 9 hours. It increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, anxiety, and depression. It weakens the immune system, affects memory, and makes daily stress harder to handle.

At what time are most Americans asleep?

In A Nutshell. Most Americans climb into bed by 10:36 p.m. but don't fall asleep until around 11:18 p.m. On average, it takes about 40 minutes to drift off, with three mornings per week marked by regret over not going to bed earlier.

What is the most peaceful city in America?

America's 13 Most Peaceful Cities For Tourists Seeking A Stress-Free Escape

  • Lancaster, Pennsylvania. bodhichita/Shutterstock. ...
  • Boulder, Colorado. Aaron Seltzer/Getty Images. ...
  • Asheville, North Carolina. alicia44/Shutterstock. ...
  • Scottsdale, Arizona. ...
  • Santa Fe, New Mexico. ...
  • Portland, Maine. ...
  • Savannah, Georgia. ...
  • Madison, Wisconsin.

Which state never sleeps?

New York isn't just the city that never sleeps — the whole state is bleary eyed. The Empire State has the drowsiest denizens in the US, a new study found.

What race does not age fast?

Findings indicated that non-Hispanic Blacks and Hispanics have accelerated aging, and non-Hispanic Whites have decelerated aging.

What is the 10 5 3 2 1 rule for sleep?

10 hours before bed: No more caffeine. 3 hours before bed: No more food or alcohol. 2 hours before bed: No more work. 1 hour before bed: No more screen time (shut off all phones, TVs and computers).

What race is the healthiest?

Whites are usually taken as the standard against which other groups are compared, but they are not necessarily in the best health. Hispanics appear to be healthier than whites on a number of measures, though not all. Asians are generally in better health than any other group (Hummer et al., 2004).

Which animal will sleep for 3 years?

The animal famous for its ability to "sleep" for extremely long periods, even up to three years, is the snail, utilizing a state of dormancy called estivation or hibernation to survive harsh droughts or cold weather by sealing itself in its shell. While not true sleep, this prolonged torpor conserves energy and moisture, allowing them to wait out unfavorable conditions until rain or warmth returns.
 

Do animals dream like humans?

Today, researchers are finding signs of REM sleep in a broader array of animals than ever before: in spiders, lizards, cuttlefish, zebrafish. The growing tally has some researchers wondering whether dreaming, a state once thought to be limited to human beings, is far more widespread than once thought.