The nation’s largest sleep report by Sealy has unveiled a sleep debt that has prompted researchers, sports stars and celebrities with a fast-paced lifestyle to call for Australians to reconsider their everyday habits, in a bid to increase their quality of rest and overall performance.
Australian Cricket Star, Usman Khawaja, Olympic Swimming Medalist, Giaan Rooney and latest The Block winners, Will and Karlie, are among just some of the stars asking Australians to join them on a four week journey to revolutionise how they sleep.
Starting March 1, the stars will change one everyday habit for four weeks and measure how it improves their sleep quality and performance on the field, at work or in their day-to-day schedule.
The movement comes as the Sealy Sleep Census of 2,300 Australians unveiled one in three individuals sleep for just six hours or less per night.
This is an alarming finding given that 80 per cent claimed they need seven hours or more to function effectively the next day.
Additionally, a significant 80% of all Australians felt like they would function more effectively at work if they slept better.
When broken down into categories, it was self-employed Australians who were the most likely to feel they could function more effectively at work if they slept better (67 per cent).
This was followed by students (56%), those employed full-time (47%), and then employed part-time (44%).
When it came to their personal lives, nearly 70% of Australians said their everyday performance was impacted by lack of sleep.
Low moods, lack of energy and even depression due to a lack of sleep we just some of the key symptoms.
These findings show that Australians need to make a shift and prioritise a quality night’s sleep in their day to day lives.
Changing habits and improving quality sleep
In a bid for Australians to get into a healthy routine and make quality sleep a priority in 2017, Sealy is encouraging a fresh start for the year, starting on March 1.
Sealy spokesperson and expert in bedding, Wade Ganzer, confirmed that a poor night’s sleep can create a knock on effect, “We spend almost a third of our lives in bed, broken down that’s around twenty five years.
Taking a few simple step to promote a positive sleep experience can be as easy as ditching caffeine or alcohol late in the day, or making a conscious decision to switch off the TV a little earlier before bedtime.”
These things are often habits that we don’t realise have an effect on our sleep.
Being conscious of what your vice is, and making a real effort to limit something over a couple of weeks is enough to see dramatic changes in your performance in areas of your life that you previously didn’t associate with your sleep, like your relationships or workplace.”