UAE: Residents of these two emirates sleep the least
Two emirates have been in the top six cities with the least sleep in 2024, data from a smart wearable device firm has shown.
The numbers were released by the wearable device company Whoop with millions of customers in 60+ countries. For all the poor sleep scores, UAE citizens had one metric that they were very good at- REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep or slumber.
"The UAE is the third lowest sleep country in the world — an average sleep score of 74 per cent," said Stephan Muller, Marketing Director of Whoop, GCC. "Sharjah, Jeddah and Dubai are on top in the world for poor sleep. And yet, the UAE has the highest REM sleep percentage — at 22 per cent — second only to India in the world (22.1 per cent).
‘REM sleep usually corresponds to longer sleep and recovery,’ he said. "The UAE’s sleep performance in general may be among the poorest in the world, but it has a very good REM sleep score, so when members of the UAE do sleep, they spend quite a lot of time in restorative sleep," he said. ‘This can still contribute to mental focus and recovery even if the sleep period is less or more irregular.
Late night culture
They also discovered that regional late-night culture was a major cause of the shorter sleep. ‘Such cities as Jeddah, Riyadh and Sharjah, where some of the latest bedtimes are found – Jeddah at 2:31am, Riyadh at 2:26am, Sharjah at 1:58am – are among the top six cities on Earth that get the least sleep,’ Stephan said. They also have the lowest average sleep performance scores and Sharjah is tops of the world with 72.9 per cent.
The late nights mess with circadian clocks and prevent healing, says Matteo Franceschetti, co-founder and CEO of Eight Sleep. ‘It’s an alignment imbalance that seems to be associated with stress, a kind of backlash, whereby your mental and physical wellbeing gets compromised further, and you run the risk of chronic disease,’ he added.
He went on to say that the numbers told us it was time for a change. Data is useful only if we use it,’ he added. "Much can be done in sleep environments that are relatively minor changes that have a big impact on sleep quality and health. Temperature is essential for proper rest in the region, and yet 36 percent of UAE citizens report that it keeps them up at night. "Sleep will be redefined by individual, data-driven technologies for better rest and recovery, based on your individual sleep cycle and environmental conditions."
Impact
But doctors warned that sleep deprivation would have health effects. ‘As we get older, a lack of sleep will alter the immune system, leaving you more susceptible to diseases,’ Dr Jolsana Augustine, specialist pulmonology at Aster Hospital Sharjah, told me.
"Sleep is also crucial to balancing stress, cardiovascular health and metabolic function," she says. It’s important to have better sleep hygiene (no screen time before bed, and having a routine for getting and sleeping) to help people be as healthy and productive as possible."
Some of the influences on sleep included contemporary living, she said. "It is a result of longer hours, screen time and late-night routines," she said. ‘The electronic use before bed is a major lifestyle pattern that makes sleep late and compromises sleep. Also environmental influences such as excessive urbanization, for example.
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