8 in 10 Adults Show Signs of Disrupted Sleep

Despite large percentages of survey respondents across different demographics reporting various symptoms, one-third have not sought testing for obstructive sleep apnea.

• By David Kopf
• Mar 16, 2023

While 64 percent of people say they are generally satisfied with the quality of their sleep, more than 80 percent report that they experience symptoms of disrupted sleep quality, according to the 2023 Global Sleep Survey from sleep therapy technology company ResMed.

Respondents to the survey reported symptoms such as mood changes, such as depression or irritability (33 percent); waking up with a dry mouth or sore throat (30 percent); difficulty concentrating during the day (30 percent); and excessive daytime sleepiness (29 percent).

Conducted during January, the 2023 Global Sleep Survey contacted more than 20,000 respondents from 12 countries to learn more about their sleep quantity and quality. It also examined bedtime routines and sleep habits.

Notably, the survey yielded differences in respondents’ quantity and quality of sleep based on location, gender, and age. Some key findings in that regard:

• Respondents from India (84 percent), Mexico (69 percent) and China (66 percent) are most satisfied with their quantity of sleep.
• Respondents in Australia (47 percent), Japan (46 percent) and the United Kingdom (45 percent) are the least satisfied with the quantity of their sleep.
• When it comes to the 81 percent of respondents that reported one or more symptoms of disrupted sleep; Mexico (87 percent), France (87 percent), and South Korea (85 percent) had the highest rates of reported symptoms, while Japan (60 percent) had the lowest.
• Sixty percent of women reported being satisfied with their quantity of sleep compared to 68 percent of men and 65 percent of nonbinary respondents. Women (83 percent) and nonbinary (94 percent) respondents were more likely to say they have at least one symptom of poor sleep compared to men (79 percent).
• Fifty-two percent of women reported regularly waking up with a negative feeling in the morning (for example, feelings of being cranky, anxious, or miserable), with 26 percent saying they’re still tired. Conversely, 58 percent of men said they were more likely to wake up feeling positive (for examples, feeling happy, refreshed, calm, or energetic).
• In terms of age, 43 percent of Gen Xers and Boomers and 49 percent of the Silent Generation reported that they weren’t satisfied with the quality of their sleep, compared to only 37 percent of Millennials and 31 percent of Gen Zers.

Despite a majority of survey respondents reporting that they wake up with symptoms of poor sleep quality, 33 percent of them said they have not been tested for sleep apnea or sought medical help for other sleep conditions because they do not believe they have sleep-related medical conditions. Additionally, 49 percent of respondents to the survey said their doctor has never asked them about their sleep quality.

“Prioritizing sleep is one of the most effective ways to improve your health, and poor sleep can increase the risk of diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and depression,” said Carlos M. Nunez, M.D., chief medical officer for ResMed. “It’s critical to have an honest discussion with your healthcare provider about your sleep habits and seek help if you’re experiencing patterns or symptoms of poor sleep as it could point to a more concerning health issue or sleep disorder such as sleep apnea.”

The survey also showed what’s keeping people up at night and how they use technology to improve their sleep:

• Anxiety/depression (33 percent) and work-related concerns (33 percent) are the two most-cited reasons for keeping people up at night. Those percentages mark an increase over responses to a similar question asked in 2022 (29 percent and 22 percent, respectively).
• Anxiety/depression was most commonly reported as the reason keeping people up at night in Brazil (46 percent), the United States (45 percent), Australia (42 percent), and the United Kingdom (42 percent). It was the least reported reason in Japan (24 percent), India (22 percent) and Germany (21 percent).
• Among consumers whose sleep has gotten worse over the past year, nearly one-third said financial pressures had caused the decline in their sleep quality (32 percent), with those in the United States (41 percent), Mexico (39 percent), and India (37 percent) reporting the greatest impact.
• Forty-three percent of Millennials reported using a sleep tracker to keep records of their sleep patterns and quality of sleep, higher than Gen Z (35 percent), Gen X (28 percent), Boomers (15 percent), and the Silent Generation (7 percent).

To learn more about ResMed’s 2023 Global Sleep Survey or to take a quick self-assessment for your risk of sleep apnea, visit sleepforbettertomorrow.com.