Ever wonder why you feel tired even after being in bed for eight hours? The answer might be hiding in your Netflix viewing habits.
We recently looked at how countries around the world are affected by two things: Netflix viewing and insomnia.
Let’s take a look at the interactive Sleep Score Map. The red and orange countries had the lowest sleep scores (the fewest minutes sleeping)
The Sleep Score Map
Sleep Score Methodology
We developed a "Sleep Score" to help understand how much quality sleep people are actually getting. Here's how it works:
We started with “minutes in bed”
- This was our starting point for the sleep score
How many people have trouble sleeping (insomnia rates)
- We looked at the relative search trends for “insomnia” by country and decreased the minutes in bed based the relative search percentage in each country.
- This allowed us to come up with an Overall Insomnia Score. The lower the score, the more insomnia affected the country.
How much Netflix people watch
- We also took the relative percentage of people who watch Netflix in the country and decreased the minutes in bed by this percentage as well.
- From this we calculated a Netflix Score. The lower the score, the more the country watched Netflix and impacted their sleep.
Then both the effects of insomnia and Netflix were equally weighted at 50%.
The Insomnia Score added to the Netflix Score gave us the Overall Sleep Score.
How does Netflix Affect the Overall Sleep Score?
There’s clear scientific proof that watching Netflix before bed is bad for your sleep. The bright light from phones and tablets tricks your brain into thinking it's still daytime, making it harder to fall asleep.
In fact, almost 9 out of 10 Netflix users say they stay up later than planned just to watch "one more episode."
The Winners and Losers in the Sleep Race
Top 5 Countries for Sleep
- Greece (404 points)
- Italy (391 points)
- France (390 points)
- Portugal (388 points)
- Spain (383 points)
So what's going on here? These Mediterranean countries dominate the top of our sleep rankings!
Despite not starting out with the most number of minutes in bed, these countries watch less Netflix and handle their insomnia better than others.
Top 5 Sleep-Deprived Nations
- Ireland (252 points)
- United States (281 points)
- United Kingdom (322 points)
- Australia (327 points)
- South Korea (334 points)
These countries started out with some pretty high number of minutes in bed.
However, they have high levels of insomnia and you guessed it, more people in these countries are watching Netflix.
This gave them lower Overall Sleep Scores.
What Can We Learn?
More Time in Bed Does Not Equal Better Sleep
The UK, Australia, and Ireland spend the most time in bed but rank among the lowest in actual sleep quality
Balance is Key
Mediterranean countries, despite moderate Netflix usage, maintain better overall Sleep Scores
Cultural Differences Matter
- Japanese and South Korean residents spend less time in bed (352 and 362 minutes respectively) but manage their insomnia and Netflix time more efficiently
Conclusion
This data paints a clear picture: globally, we're trading sleep for screens. While some countries have found a better balance than others, there's room for improvement everywhere.
The good news? Small changes in our Netflix habits could lead to big improvements in our sleep quality.
And if you're experiencing insomnia, there are solutions out there to help you to get better sleep. Talk to your doctor and get informed about your options to get a good night's rest.
Now, insomnia and Netflix are not the only two issues that affect sleep. There are lots of factors at play, but it's two things that we can measure.
It certainly provides some interesting information!
References
1. World Population Review, Netflix Users by Country 2024, https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/netflix-users-by-country
2. Psychology Today, Binge Watching and Its Effects on Your Sleep, 2018 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sleep-newzzz/201801/binge-watching-and-its-effects-on-your-sleep