“I used to sleep 5 hours a day in my 20s”: How much sleep are Singaporeans getting?

SINGAPORE: With many having to hustle day in and day out to earn a living, sleep has taken a backseat in the lives of many Singaporeans. On Tuesday (Oct 29), an online user in his 40s shared how little sleep he used to get in his 20s and how that kind of lifestyle has affected him now.

“I’m curious,” he wrote. “How many hours do people in Singapore sleep a day? Given the fast-paced society we are in, I used to sleep five hours a day in my 20s. Now I suffer physical and mental fatigue in my 40s. The fatigue does go away slightly, but it just gets worse with age.”

Read also: Maid says she’s forced to wake up at 5:40am to work without any rest in between and can only sleep at 12-1 am

There was a mix of responses to the post, with some sharing that they get around seven to eight hours of sleep a night, while others said that they get as little as three to four hours of sleep.

“I used to be able to survive on three to four hours of sleep when I was younger but now that I’m in my 30s, seven to eight hours is a non-negotiable. Otherwise, I’ll feel irritable and fatigued throughout the day,” one wrote. “Ample sleep for me is also important because I work out regularly and my muscles need the recovery on top of my diet.”

Others shared that on weekdays, they get much less sleep but “recover” on weekends. “Five hours on weekdays. 12 hours on weekends,” said one.

There also seemed to be a trend among parents of young children getting little sleep.

However, a handful said they’re able to get around eight hours of sleep, which is the well-known recommendation for adults.

Read also: Maid says her employer forces her to sleep in the kitchen while his family keep disturbing her sleep even past 1230am

Interestingly, back in 2023, a survey found that Singapore was the third most sleep-deprived city in a pool of 43 countries. According to Global Is Asian, the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy’s digital platform,  a survey revealed: “Only one in four people get more than seven hours of sleep daily and only 17 per cent of respondents sleep through the night.”

The platform also stated, “Sleep deprivation has risen to the level of a public health crisis in Singapore.”

Among the risks of lack of sleep are physical and mental health problems such as stroke, hypertension, and depression. What’s more, it can also play a big role in car crashes and other accidents.