Mar 17, 2017

Philips releases survey findings on how people across the globe prioritize sleep

Survey finds only 1 in 10 employed adults across the globe value their job over a good night’s sleep, but pressures in U.S. seem greater
While over 9 in 10 adults globally believe sleep is crucial to their overall health and wellbeing, more than 8 in 10 adults say that something (including spending time with their spouse/partner, family, friends and job) takes precedence over a good night’s sleep

Singapore – In celebration of World Sleep Day, Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) today released its report, “Unfiltered Sleep: A Global Prioritization Puzzle”, which showcases the results of an international survey conducted online in February by Harris Poll on behalf of Philips. The survey looks at how 6,461 adults across five countries (United States, the Netherlands, Germany, France and Japan) perceive, prioritize and prepare for sleep, as well as how sleep impacts daily responsibilities, from work to relationships and hobbies. The survey found that while there is little debate on the value of sleep, individuals face daily demands which compete for time, often leaving sleep diminished in the list of daily priorities. Through these findings, Philips, a global leader in sleep and respiratory care, aims to start a conversation about an important yet oft forgotten pillar of overall health and wellbeing: sleep health.

With a focus on health at its core, Philips understands that good sleep, in addition to eating well and exercising, is one of the key pieces to nurturing a healthy lifestyle. But as daily priorities shift and time becomes scarce, sleep is often the first on the list to be pushed aside. In fact, Philips’ Unfiltered Sleep survey shows more than 8 in 10 adults globally (84 percent) say that a variety of activities take precedence over a good night’s sleep and one could assume these may even get in the way of things like their love life, family, friends and job.

“Many people tend not to realize the importance of quality sleep and the impact it has on our everyday lives. Lack of quality sleep results in poor productivity, reduced alertness, neuropsychological symptoms and a poor quality of life,” said Adj. Asst. Prof. Sridhar Venkateswaran, Senior Consultant (Respiratory), Department of Medicine, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, Jurong Health Services.

One of the most common causes of poor sleep quality is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA disrupts the sleep cycle and can dramatically impact energy, mental performance, and long term health. A study found that one in three Singaporeans have moderate-to-severe OSA, but 91% of sufferers in that study had never been diagnosed¹. Another recently published study also shows that OSA patients have significantly a lower quality of life.²

“OSA can go undiagnosed due to the lack of awareness both on the part of the patients as well as primary care physicians. In the long term, OSA patients can develop hypertension, cerebro and cardiovascular diseases. To address this, education is vital for healthcare practitioners and the public.” Adj. Asst. Prof. Venkateswaran emphasized.

“Currently continuous positive airway pressure therapy (CPAP) remains the gold-standard in the treatment of OSA, especially in moderate to severe cases. Patients should also ensure they exercise regularly, have a healthy diet and have their weight under control. More importantly, if there are any sleep-related symptoms, they should talk to their doctor,” said Adj. Asst. Prof. Venkateswaran.

Sleep is vitally important to the ‘healthy lifestyle’ equation, but it is often cast aside as less important compared to the other fundamental elements such as eating well or exercising,” said Dr. Teofilo Lee-Chiong, sleep clinician and Chief Medical Liaison, Philips. “We need to start thinking of health and wellness as a table with four legs, each of which representing proper nutrition, exercise, positive mental health and sleep – if we’re only focusing on diet and exercise, that table isn’t going to be balanced. Just a single night of sleeping badly can immediately impact our performance, safety and sense of wellbeing – imagine what happens over months or years of not getting enough quality sleep.”

Dr. Teofilo Lee-Chiong

Sleep Clinician and Chief Medical Liaison, Philips

Beyond raising awareness through education about the importance of sleep, Philips is innovating sleep solutions that work together to promote better health – from clinical devices designed to help people with sleep disorders, to lighting solutions to help people start their days naturally. To learn more about the “Unfiltered Sleep: A Global Prioritization Puzzle,” visit Philips.com/WorldSleepDay.

Other findings in “Unfiltered Sleep: A Global Prioritization Puzzle” Report

Across these five countries, there is little debate that sleep is important to overall wellness. In fact, 92 percent of adults globally say sleep is crucial to their overall health and wellbeing, while many adults also make a direct connection between quality of sleep and the quality of life and relationships. Some key findings include:

We think sleep is important to relationships: Approximately three-quarters of adults globally (74 percent) say good sleep is the key to a happy marriage. This is especially true in Japan (89 percent), followed by the U.S. (79 percent) and the Netherlands (71 percent).
After one bad night’s sleep, we feel the negative impacts: More than 8 in 10 adults globally (82 percent) experience negative impacts following just one bad night’s sleep. Adults in France (87 percent) and Japan (86 percent) are most likely to feel negative impacts. The top three negative impacts reported by adults globally are looking tired (40 percent), being less productive (37 percent) and feeling unmotivated (35 percent).

But there’s still a gap between recognition and reality

More than eight in 10 adults globally (84 percent) say something in their lives is more important than making sure they get a good night’s sleep. Key findings include:

Family time over a good night’s sleep: About half of adults in France (53 percent), along with just under half of adults in the U.S. (46 percent) and Germany (48 percent), say spending time with family is more important than a good night’s sleep.
Sleep beats job responsibilities…except in the U.S.: While only one in 10 international adults who are employed prioritize their job over sleep; this pressure to work seems to be slightly greater in the U.S. (13 percent vs. 10 percent in each of the other 4 countries). More than one quarter of employed U.S. adults (30 percent) indicate that sending late night emails, when everyone else is asleep, shows that you care more about your job.
TV is usually the last thing many do before bed: Adults globally vary in how they spend their time right before bed, but TV is by far the top choice (28 percent). And despite all the literature that screens should be turned off well before sleep, nearly half of adults (47 percent) say screen time (including watching TV, reading on an electronic device, checking email, looking at social media and browsing the web) is the very last thing they do.

OSA can go undiagnosed due to the lack of awareness both on the part of the patients as well as primary care physicians. In the long term, OSA patients can develop hypertension, cerebro and cardiovascular diseases. To address this, education is vital for healthcare practitioners and the public.” Adj. Asst. Prof. Venkateswaran emphasized. “Currently continuous positive airway pressure therapy (CPAP) remains the gold-standard in the treatment of OSA, especially in moderate to severe cases. Patients should also ensure they exercise regularly, have a healthy diet and have their weight under control. More importantly, if there are any sleep-related symptoms, they should talk to their doctor,”

Adj. Asst. Prof. Venkateswaran

Senior Consultant (Respiratory), Department of Medicine, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, Jurong Health Services

¹ Tan A et al. Respirology. 2016 Jul;21(5):943-50. doi: 10.1111/resp.12747. Epub 2016 Feb 29

² Huang W et al. Ann Acad Med Singapore. 2016 Sep;45(9):404-412

About Royal Philips

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips' health technology portfolio generated 2016 sales of EUR 17.4 billion and employs approximately 70,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.