Too Stressed to Sleep?

World Sleep Day, happening this year on March 13, is an annual event celebrating the benefits of good and healthy sleep. World Sleep Day also aims to raise awareness of sleep health and of the burden and medical issues of bad sleep. Recent data from a survey conducted by Resmed, a medical device company specializing in sleep apnea and COPD solutions, shows that over half (53 percent) of the 30,000 people surveyed across 13 countries in December 2025 and January 2026 ranked sleep as the most important behavior for living a long, healthy life, ahead of eating a balanced diet (46 percent) and regular physical activity (41 percent). Furthermore, 84 percent of respondents said they know that consistent, quality sleep can extend a healthy lifespan. Yet, as Resmed's report highlights, 53 percent of respondents reported getting a good night's sleep only four nights a week or less.

As our infographic shows, the most often cited reason for poor sleep among the participants of the survey was stress or anxiety, which was mentioned by 39 percent of respondents. This was followed by work (22 percent), and the use of screens before bed (21 percent). Studies show that using screens before bed can interfere with sleep by suppressing the body's production of melatonin, a hormone released in the evening that regulates the body's circadian rhythm and induces a state of relaxation necessary for falling asleep.

Of the 13 countries included in Resmed's survey, the nations with the lowest average nights of quality sleep were France, where 66 percent of respondents reported sleeping well four or fewer nights a week, followed by the United Kingdon (64 percent) and the United States (61 percent).