Don’t sleep on this: 69% of respondents in a survey conducted by AIA said they don’t feel good about how much sleep they get.
The research, which was conducted in AIA’s markets of mainland China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia, is part of the insurer’s #OneMoreHour campaign, which seeks to promote more and better sleep, as well as combat sleep deprivation.
The study also found that more than half (55%) of respondents said they get just six hours or fewer of sleep per night. This is less than the seven to nine hours determined by experts as the optimal amount of sleep for most adults. Meanwhile, 62% said they either worry about not getting enough sleep or want more sleep, 30% are not satisfied with their quality of sleep, and 62% agreed that getting one more hour of sleep would boost their mood and energy.
According to a statement from AIA, it is working in partnership with Professor Michael Chee, one of Asia’s leading sleep experts from Duke-NUS Medical School and Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine in Singapore, for this campaign.
The campaign seeks to highlight the important physical and physiological benefits associated with getting sufficient sleep. These include: reduced likelihood of suffering from chronic disease, increased ability to maintain a healthy weight, a stronger immune system, boosted mood and energy levels, and reduced stress and anxiety.
“Just one more hour of sleep can provide an extensive number of health benefits and yet sleep deprivation continues to affect an increasing number of people in Asia,” said Stuart A. Spencer, chief marketing officer at AIA Group. “There is a myth that if we sacrifice sleep, we will get ahead in life. In reality, sleep doesn’t get in the way of personal progress: it enables it. Underpinned by our call to action, #OneMoreHour, we will show people how they can take steps to change their behaviour to get more and better quality sleep.”
As part of the initiative, AIA has introduced updates to its wellness programme, AIA Vitality, to encourage and reward healthier sleeping habits. The AIA Vitality app will feature new sleep assessment and sleep-based rewards, as well as sleep tracking tools, to motivate people to improve their sleep habits, the insurer said. It also launched a new sleep content hub on its website, featuring articles and videos on how to achieve better sleeping habits.
