A nationwide sleep survey has found most New Zealanders are restless sleepers, with 93 per cent waking up at least once each night.
The survey of more than 11,000 people, mostly women aged 25 to 54, was commissioned by bedmaker Sleepyhead.
"Considering how important sleep is and how much time
we spend in bed, an awful lot of us are not sleeping that well," Sleepyhead general manager Chris Taylor said.
While 52 per cent of those surveyed said they got seven to eight hours sleep a night, much of that was broken.
"Only 7 per cent of us sleep right through the night, with the vast majority (65 per cent) waking two or more times. Apart from needing the bathroom, tossing and turning wakes us up, as do aches and pains and your bed partner disturbing you," Mr Taylor said.
The survey found some regional variations in sleeping habits, revealing Wellingtonians to be "the best sleepers".
Aucklanders were found to be the quickest to get to sleep, while Cantabrians were more likely to share their bed with a pet.
Sixty per cent of respondents said they shared their bed with a partner each night.
Mr Taylor said a large weight difference between partners could lead to sleep problems.
"More than 40 per cent of Kiwi couples have a weight difference of 20kg or more and, unless you have a bed with the right support, one partner can get woken up every time the other one rolls over," he said.
Of those who share a bed with their partner, half were found to start off cuddling but then move to their separate sides. Just 3 per cent said they snuggled up all night.
Other results include:
* Nearly a quarter of New Zealanders get up every night to go to the bathroom.
* Single people take longer to get to sleep compared to those with partners.
* North Islanders are daily nappers, particularly those in Northland and Auckland.
* A third of South Islanders are woken by their partner snoring.
* Computers in the bedroom are more common in Auckland and Wellington compared to smaller towns in the South Island.
* About 9 per cent manage to wake themselves up with their own snoring.
- NZPA
