Data collected by the Apple Watch indicates most of us are not getting enough sleep at night. The data comes from the Apple Heart and Movement Study which was formed by Apple and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, as well as the American Heart Association, in 2019.
The Apple Heart and Movement Study was formed to look into early warning signs for atrial fibrillation (AFib). In a March data update, the same collected data shows that people need to spend more time sleeping. Only 31.2% of people get seven or more hours of sleep, meeting the minimum recommended by the AHA. The average amount of time spent sleeping by project participants was 6 hours and 27 minutes.
Most participants got between six and seven hours of sleep, with 39.7% of reporters reaching that. Another 20.3% get between five and six hours a night, and 8.8% have less than 5 hours.
BWH explains why sleep is so important to humans’ good health:
Sleep has become a top area of interest in both health research and the wellness space for good reason. The duration and consistency of sleep have been linked to a wide range of health topics including cardiovascular disease, metabolism, and brain health, not to mention quality of life.
Participants in Washington, South Dakota, and Idaho were more likely to meet the minimum sleep recommendations, while participants in Hawaii, Mississippi, and West Virginia are least likely to do so.
Research results showed that most people go to sleep before midnight on a weekday, with 66.4% doing so. However, on the weekend, 56.6% go to sleep before 12am.
The data is based on results from over 42,000 people who opted into the study on their Apple Watch and iPhone, via the Apple Research app.