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7 March 2005
Singapore
An average of 37% of consumers the world over aren’t usually tucked up in bed until after midnight, but 40% of people in Asia Pacific are burning the midnight oil compared to 34% of Americans and 32% of Europeans. In Singapore, more than half the local population claimed that they do not normally ‘hit the sack’ before the clock strikes midnight. These findings were revealed in a global study of sleep habits recently released by ACNielsen, a leading provider of consumer and marketplace information.
The ACNielsen Consumer Confidence and Opinion Survey was conducted in October over the Internet in 28 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe and the US interviewing more than 14,100 consumers over the Internet.
According to the global survey, the biggest night-owls the world over are the Portuguese, with 75% not ‘hitting the sack’ until after midnight - with as many as 28% not retiring until after 1am. The second ranked global night-owls are the Taiwanese, where 69% going to bed after midnight, with as many as 35% not retiring until after 1am! Following closely behind are the Koreans (68%) and Hong Kongers (66%). Indeed, Hong Kongers ranked second after Taiwan for staying up latest of all, with 31% claiming not to go to bed until after 1am!
Of the 54% of Singaporeans who stay awake until past midnight, half said they usually went to sleep between 12 and 1 am, while the other half went to sleep between 1 to 2 am. The most common bedtime falls between 11 pm and midnight, when almost one in three people (31%) claimed to turn in for the night.
Of the top 10 globally ranked night-owl nations, seven are Asian, with the other three being Mediterranean countries more typically known for late nights and mid day siestas – Portugal, Spain and Italy.
“There is evidence all around us that people are pushing back their bed-times, with the growing range of night-time entertainment as well as round-the-clock services available for consumers, and of course the world of the Internet, which never sleeps,” said Ms Vicky Santos, Executive Director of ACNielsen Research Singapore. “The ACNielsen findings also revealed that around the world the “twenty-somethings” tend to be the night-owls, while in Asia Pacific, those in their 30s are more likely to stay up until after midnight compared to Americans and Europeans of the same age.”
The earliest to bed in Asia Pacific are the Australians, with 24% in bed by 10pm, followed by 19% of Kiwis. Only 2% of Singaporeans said they are in bed by this time.
At the other end of the scale, 60% of Asia Pacific and American consumers are out of bed by 7am, compared to 50% of Europeans. Leading the rankings globally are the Indonesians, with 91% out of bed by 7am, followed by 88% of Vietnamese. Although more than half the Singapore population stay up past midnight, it is rise and shine by 7 am for almost the same number of Singaporeans. The most common wake-up hours are between 6-7 am and 7-8 am with each taking about a third of the population. In the global rankings, five of the top 10 early rising nations were from Asia, the other five from Europe.
As you might expect, and based on their nocturnal habits, the Taiwanese are the last out of bed in the morning, with 26% not getting up until after 9am. Similarly, 13% of Hong Kongers aren’t out of bed until after 9am either! Only 8% of Singaporeans enjoy the luxury of a ‘lie-in’ past this hour.
And the region’s biggest sleep-catchers? It’s the Kiwis and the Aussies, with 31% of Aussies and 28% of Kiwis getting more than nine hours sleep on average. And with all their early rising, 12% of Indonesians get an average of only five hours sleep, with 38% getting six hours or less. The most sleep deprived is the Japanese, with 41% getting six hours or less. In Singapore, 6 in 10 people do not get the generally recommended 8 hours of sleep daily. While 59% get 6 to 7 shut-eye hours, 3% actually snooze only 5 hours everyday! Only 31% of locals enjoy the luxury of 8 sleep hours.
“The competitive Singapore society is adapting to a longer ‘waking’ day as working adults have to juggle their time between work and family,” Ms Santos continued. “The luxury of a solid eight-hour sleep or an early night are long gone and people have gradually become accustomed to sleeping less and their body clocks have adjusted accordingly.”
Globally, both “Work Hours” and “Habit” were considered by nearly half of the respondents as major factors dictating their sleep schedule. 54% of Europeans claimed “Work hours” more than “Habit” (41%) determined their sleep schedule, and particularly so the younger the respondents. Both Americans and Asians rated “Habit” as the biggest driver of sleep hours while “Work Hours” influenced the sleep schedule of those aged 20 - 40 in Asia Pacific.
It’s worth noting that a third of Americans were influenced by their “Family/Children” in their sleep schedule, double that of Europeans (17%) and Asians (16%).
About ACNielsen
ACNielsen, a VNU business, is the world's leading marketing information provider. Offering services in more than 100 countries, the unit provides measurement and analysis of marketplace dynamics and consumer attitudes and behavior. Clients rely on ACNielsen's market research, proprietary products, analytical tools and professional service to understand competitive performance, to uncover new opportunities and to raise the profitability of their marketing and sales campaigns. To learn more, visit www.acnielsen.com.
ACNielsen is part of the VNU Marketing Information group. VNU is a global information and media company with leading market positions and recognized brands in marketing information (ACNielsen), media measurement and information (Nielsen Media Research) and business information (Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Computing, Intermediair). VNU is active in more than 100 countries, with headquarters in Haarlem, the Netherlands and New York, USA. The company employs 36,000 people. Total revenues amounted to EUR 3.9 billion in 2003. VNU is listed on the Euronext Amsterdam (ASE: VNU) stock exchange. For more information, please visit the VNU website at www.vnu.com
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