Dubai: While most people in the UAE get an average of seven hours of sleep a night, around half would give up social media for an extra hour of sleep, a recent poll by furnishing retailer Ikea showed.
Work stress, kids and distractions of technology came out on top when people were asked why they were missing out on sleep. However, the most revealing statistic showed that 48 per cent would ditch their phones and social media for an extra hour in bed each day, with nearly one in four saying they would give up their own partner.
The poll also showed that half of the respondents admitted that they look at their phone before they speak to their partner in the morning and, on average, 60 per cent will look at an electronic device within five minutes of waking up.
“Sleep is a very emotive subject, it’s personal to all of us and something that we are very protective of. But with busy lives and technology always by our side, we can sometimes struggle to get the quality hours we need to wake up feeling refreshed and revived,” said Vinod Jayan, managing director of Ikea UAE, Qatar, Egypt and Oman.
Despite getting the required amount of sleep each night, nearly half of UAE residents wake up in the night regularly. The poll revealed that one in three believe that they miss out on many hours of sleep and, if they could, they would take back an equivalent of two and a half weeks’ worth of sleep a year.
However, pre-bedtime rituals vary greatly from person to person, from reading (17 per cent) to meditation (18 per cent) and music (14 per cent) to showering (6 per cent). Still, nearly a third don’t have any ritual to help them nod off.
As part of its current campaign ‘make room for sleep and relaxation’, Ikea is launching the ‘Nap Truck’ with a beautifully designed bedroom inside, for sleepy passers-by to take a 20-minute power nap. The Ikea Nap Truck will be touring Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain from February 22 to March 6.
