US is grumpy and South Africans are early risers, finds sleep study (2024)

FAQs

US is grumpy and South Africans are early risers, finds sleep study? ›

Using statistics from Sleep Cycle app users, researchers have discovered that the earliest wake-up time worldwide is on a Monday in South Africa. While on Tuesdays, Americans rise at 7am and are in the worst mood all week.

And if it's true that waking up early equals success, South Africans should be on top of their game as we came out as the country with the earliest wake-up time at 06:24. Columbia, Costa Rica, and Indonesia joined South Africa as the earliest risers, all waking before 07:00.

Interestingly, when compared to many countries around the world, South Africa leads the way when it comes to the average wake up time in the morning, with the World of Statistics suggesting many rise around 6:24am.

According to a report by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Colombian are the world's earliest risers. The alarm clock at many Colombian households goes off at four or five in the morning.

Statistics South Africa asks people to describe themselves in the census in terms of five racial population groups. The 2022 estimates were 81.4% Black or Indigenous South African, 7.3% White South African, 8.2% Coloured South African, and 2.7% Indian South African. Dominant population groups in South Africa.

However, the data shows that South Africans are also the earliest to bed – with the average South African choosing to go to sleep at around 22:52. This means that around 30% of South Africans sleep for around seven hours each night, while around 27% get the recommended eight hours of sleep.

Below, we dive into the key takeaways. On their best sleep behavior, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden claim the top three spots, with 77.05%, 76.17% and 75.18% of residents, respectively, sleeping between seven to nine hours per night.

Geographical Factors:

Tropical Climate: Colombia's location near the equator means sunshine arrives early and stays late. The bright mornings naturally encourage people to rise with the sun, making the most of the long daylight hours.

Not only is South Africa itself an important emerging economy, it is also the gateway to Sub-Saharan markets, where its well-developed infrastructure allows for transportation into Africa. The country is a regional leader and a member of the BRICS collaboration.

About 180 million years ago, a mantle plume under southern Gondwana caused bulging of the continental crust in the area that would later become southern Africa.

Are some people naturally early risers? ›

Some people are genetically programmed to go to bed (and rise) early, others late. Morning birds have certain advantages over night owls, new research suggests, including a lower risk of certain mental disorders.

South Africa's economy is expected to grow at some 1.6% over the next three years, with real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reaching 0.6% in 2023. “Despite the improved global outlook for 2024, South Africa's near-term growth remains hamstrung by lower commodity prices and structural constraints.