New York is widely known as the ‘City That Never Sleeps’.
Now, a study has confirmed that the Big Apple really does live up to this reputation.
Researchers from Simba surveyed 2,000 people in London and New York to understand exactly how many of hours of rest they get each night.
The results revealed that the average person in New York gets just 6 hours and 36 minutes of sleep each night.
Meanwhile, the average person in London clocks 6 hours and 48 minutes of sleep each night.
Over the course of a year, those extra 12 minutes each night give Londoners a whopping three days of additional rest!
‘Healthy adults need to sleep seven to nine hours a night on a regular basis for optimal health, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and British National Health Service (NHS),’ Simba said.
‘With city dwellers on both sides of the Atlantic consistently falling short of the essential seven to nine hour sleep goal overall, this new report highlights a looming sleep deprivation crisis in major urban areas.’
As part of the survey, Simba asked New Yorkers and Londoners about the reasons for their lack of sleep.
The cost of living was found to be the biggest source of stress for both groups, with 31 per cent of Londoners and 30 per cent of New Yorkers saying this was the main worry keeping them awake.
Health was the next major source of nighttime anxiety (19 per cent of Londoners and 21 per cent of New Yorkers), followed by neighbourhood noise.
There, New Yorkers struggle more, with 19 per cent citing this as a major sleep disruptor, compared to just 13 per cent of Londoners.
In contrast, job stress is a bigger concern in London, with 18 per cent of Londoners saying it’s a source of sleeplessness, compared to 14 per cent of New Yorkers.
Family concerns were also found to stress out Londoners (16 per cent) more than New Yorkers (13 per cent).
Lisa Artis, Deputy CEO of The Sleep Charity, said: ‘Getting a good night’s sleep is key for our physical and emotional health.
‘Research has shown that a lack of sleep can increase the risk of conditions such as heart disease, obesity and stroke as well as increase our anxiety and stress levels.
‘While both cities have vibrant social scenes and demanding jobs, it seems Londoners are carving out a bit more time for rest – or maybe just hitting the snooze button a little more often!’
Delving deeper into the findings, the researchers were able to pinpoint the specific neighbourhoods in London and New York where people get the best and worst sleep.
In London, people living in Barking and Dagenham, Hackney, Havering, Newham, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets, and Waltham Forest were found to get the most sleep.
In fact, a third of people in these boroughs clocked an average of eight hours or more sleep each night.
In contrast, people in Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey, Islington, and Westminster, were found to get the least sleep in London.
Over 40 per cent of people in these boroughs registered six hours or less of sleep on average.
Across the pond, people in Manhattan were found to get the most sleep, with nearly a third (30 per cent) banking an average of eight hours or more.
Staten Island residents, meanwhile, got the least sleep, with over half (58 per cent) getting six hours of sleep or less.
Steve Reid, CEO and Co-Founder of Simba, said: ‘Rest levels in both cities are dangerously low.
‘Sleep is essential for overall health, impacting everything from mental wellbeing to physical resilience, and is crucial for coping with the stresses of city life.’
