Karel Busta

Dataset

When the world falls asleep, wakes up, and how long it sleeps

Mean sleep onset, wake time and total sleep for 35 countries, measured by the Oura Ring over 50 million nights in 2021 (Willoughby et al. 2023).

Source
Willoughby et al. (2023), Sleep MedicineWilloughby AR, Alikhani I, Karsikas M, Chua XY, Chee MWL. Country differences in nocturnal sleep variability: Observations from a large-scale, long-term sleep wearable study. Sleep Medicine. 2023;110:155–165. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2023.08.010. Numbers taken from the CC BY 4.0 preprint, PsyArXiv doi:10.31234/osf.io/8ahsu (OSF file version 6, 2023-08-17), Supplementary Tables S1 and S2a–S2e.
Sample
226,187 Oura Ring users in 35 countries, 54,769,523 nights (mean 242 nights per user)
Coverage
35 countries, nights from 4 January 2021 to 2 January 2022
License
Preprint licensed CC BY 4.0 (OSF record https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/8ahsu_v1/, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Values are reproduced from its supplementary tables with attribution; no changes other than unit conversions.
Retrieved
October 14, 2026
Download
All tables (JSON)Sleep timing and duration by country (Oura Ring users, 2021) (CSV)
See also

Caveats

  • Oura Ring owners are a self-selected, affluent, mostly working-age group (mean age 44, 60% male), not a representative sample of any country.
  • Group sizes differ a lot, from 200–500 average weekly users (e.g. India, South Africa, UAE) to more than 50,000 (USA); Oura did not allow exact counts per country to be published.
  • Sleep onset is when the ring's algorithm detects sleep, not bedtime; total sleep excludes time awake in bed, so it is shorter than self-reported "hours of sleep".
  • [object Object]
  • Country groups differ in age and sex mix (e.g. Japan 37 years and 79% male, Finland 44 years and 52% male); the tabulated means are not adjusted for this.
  • 2021 was a COVID-19 pandemic year with lockdowns and remote work in many countries, which shifted sleep timing.
  • Figures in the paper's main text (e.g. a sleep-efficiency range of 84.16–87.37%) are model estimates and differ from the tabulated means used here (83.36–86.81%).
  • Values come from the preprint's supplementary tables; the published Sleep Medicine version could not be accessed to confirm the tables are unchanged (its abstract matches).

Built from this dataset

Sleep timing and duration by country (Oura Ring users, 2021)

One row per country (35). Mean sleep onset, wake time, mid-sleep and total sleep time measured by the Oura Ring, Jan 2021–Jan 2022, as tabulated in Willoughby et al. (2023) Supplementary Tables S1, S2a–S2e. Weekday = Sunday–Thursday nights except UAE.

Sleep timing and duration by country (Oura Ring users, 2021)
CountryRegionMean weekly usersMean weekly users (lower bound) (users)Mean weekly users (upper bound) (users)Nights per user (nights)Mean age (years)Male (%)Sleep onset (weekday)Sleep onset (weekday), minutes (min)Wake time (weekday)Wake time (weekday), minutes (min)Mid-sleep (weekday)Mid-sleep (weekday), minutes (min)Sleep (weekday) (h)Sleep (weekday), minutes (min)Sleep (weekday), h mSleep efficiency (weekday) (%)Sleep onset (weekend)Sleep onset (weekend), minutes (min)Wake time (weekend)Wake time (weekend), minutes (min)Sleep (weekend) (h)Sleep (weekend), minutes (min)Sleep (weekend), h mWeekend sleep extension (min)Social jetlag (min)
South AfricaAfrica200–500200500254.0344.5767.922:38-82.306:21380.9302:29149.186.9414.176h 54m85.3222:58-62.2807:00419.637.14428.527h 09m14.3629.39
Hong Kong (China)Asia500–1,0005001,000246.9142.7164.4800:1111.4807:29448.7703:502306.53391.556h 32m85.1800:3838.3708:17497.426.82409.156h 49m17.637.78
IndiaAsia200–500200500230.6741.877.8600:1212.3307:25445.4303:49228.756.41384.686h 25m84.2600:3332.7207:51470.56.47388.256h 28m3.5822.83
JapanAsia5,000–10,0005,00010,000242.0637.2178.8100:2827.8307:22442.0703:55234.886.1366.036h 06m83.3600:4847.5208:06485.936.41384.746h 25m18.731.79
SingaporeAsia1,000–5,0001,0005,000243.4942.0267.8700:1312.7807:26445.7503:49229.156.45386.876h 27m84.8200:3838.0508:09489.126.7401.876h 42m1534.32
South KoreaAsia200–500200500248.9845.7569.6200:055.0307:10429.9803:37217.456.31378.636h 19m84.300:2626.2707:56475.76.61396.686h 37m18.0533.47
ThailandAsia200–500200500245.242.3966.5623:57-3.2507:18438.0203:37217.286.6396.26h 36m85.3200:1616.0707:47467.086.73404.046h 44m7.8424.21
AustriaEurope500–1,0005001,000245.4239.6268.2423:25-35.4507:04423.7703:14194.026.92415.476h 55m86.2523:54-6.3507:59478.687.28436.677h 17m21.1941.97
BelgiumEurope500–1,0005001,000244.3543.0767.1523:37-22.6307:19439.0803:28208.086.94416.496h 56m86.0800:021.5308:07486.77.25435.187h 15m18.6835.87
Czech RepublicEurope1,000–5,0001,0005,000247.4636.9977.723:29-30.807:05425.2203:17197.086.9413.976h 54m86.5223:56-4.3807:57477.257.26435.37h 15m21.3339.22
DenmarkEurope500–1,0005001,000242.139.7168.2123:23-37.2507:03423.103:13192.86.9414.016h 54m85.700:043.6808:04483.777.15429.217h 09m15.1950.85
EstoniaEurope200–500200500258.2440.8558.8223:57-3.0207:38457.7203:47227.176.98418.596h 59m86.5300:3231.8708:41521.427.36441.847h 22m23.2549.35
FinlandEurope10,000–50,00010,00050,000271.1244.4752.2123:33-27.4207:15435.403:24203.857.03421.827h 02m86.8500:1010.3308:24503.687.44446.247h 26m24.4353
FranceEurope1,000–5,0001,0005,000239.2942.3569.7923:48-11.7707:27447.4503:38217.76.9413.856h 54m85.9600:1212.308:15495.327.22433.297h 13m19.4435.93
GermanyEurope5,000–10,0005,00010,000243.3441.5964.1823:31-28.6507:08427.5303:19199.336.88412.556h 53m86.2500:044.308:08488.187.25434.927h 15m22.3746.75
GreeceEurope200–500200500238.1341.6667.100:000.0307:35455.0703:47227.476.86411.786h 52m86.1200:2828.4208:23502.687.12427.487h 07m15.737.94
IrelandEurope500–1,0005001,000241.6640.9770.6123:39-20.7707:27446.9803:33212.977420.047h 00m85.6200:1312.6308:17496.527.2432.177h 12m12.1341.53
ItalyEurope1,000–5,0001,0005,000244.5342.6471.0923:50-9.7707:18437.5503:34213.776.76405.746h 46m86.3200:1313.3708:06485.937.1425.97h 06m20.1635.76
NetherlandsEurope1,000–5,0001,0005,000247.2841.5766.0823:35-25.2807:21441.2703:28207.877420.17h 00m85.8700:032.8308:09489.377.26435.617h 16m15.5138.07
NorwayEurope500–1,0005001,000247.3741.076523:50-10.1307:24443.8803:37216.726.85410.786h 51m86.2400:2828.0808:32512.17.25435.297h 15m24.5153.28
PolandEurope200–500200500250.1636.7474.1523:46-14.1307:21440.603:33213.136.89413.256h 53m86.500:1818.1208:13492.837.15428.957h 09m15.6942.15
PortugalEurope200–500200500242.9142.8766.5400:011.4807:39459.1203:50230.236.85411.276h 51m85.7500:2525.408:23503.037.12427.147h 07m15.8833.8
RomaniaEurope200–500200500242.2639.6464.2700:065.8307:39459.3503:53232.56.83409.756h 50m85.8800:3131.0708:265067.12426.917h 07m17.1735.85
RussiaEurope500–1,0005001,000236.8837.5362.2800:3333.3208:12492.404:23262.736.93415.946h 56m86.1500:5958.608:57537.087.2432.157h 12m16.2235.01
SlovakiaEurope200–500200500261.9837.880.5623:21-39.3706:56416.0803:08188.276.92415.136h 55m86.8123:45-14.7507:45465.357.25435.257h 15m20.1236.92
SpainEurope1,000–5,0001,0005,000243.3343.4966.123:59-0.9307:33453.403:46226.156.83409.996h 50m85.9200:3029.9508:26505.977.12427.067h 07m17.0841.73
SwedenEurope1,000–5,0001,0005,000250.1243.1160.1623:26-34.107:04424.0303:15194.856.93415.526h 56m86.4800:000.0708:04483.557.26435.647h 16m20.1246.83
SwitzerlandEurope1,000–5,0001,0005,000242.243.3162.4423:30-30.2707:03423.3203:16196.426.874126h 52m86.6300:00-0.4508:04483.937.28437.087h 17m25.0845.14
UKEurope5,000–10,0005,00010,000243.9242.9464.8123:27-32.6707:10430.203:19198.636.94416.286h 56m85.7623:54-6.507:55474.937.18430.547h 11m14.2535.43
UAEMiddle East200–500200500231.941.8468.5423:57-2.7707:20440.2803:39218.66.62397.486h 37m85.3900:2928.8208:03483.336.77405.996h 46m8.5137.43
CanadaNorth America5,000–10,0005,00010,000243.2244.4359.7923:21-39.507:03422.9803:12191.636.93416.036h 56m85.8123:47-13.0207:48468.437.18430.97h 11m14.8735.95
MexicoNorth America500–1,0005001,000231.842.6668.9623:36-23.9707:08428.203:222026.77406.026h 46m85.4900:1211.9707:594796.95416.96h 57m10.8843.28
USANorth America>50,00050,000–234.6546.2856.8923:08-52.2206:47406.5802:57177.086.87412.396h 52m85.7923:33-26.5507:33453.037.15429.017h 09m16.6236.06
AustraliaOceania1,000–5,0001,0005,000243.4742.3762.9822:52-67.6306:38398.0702:45165.086.96417.716h 58m85.5923:18-41.607:19439.087.15428.817h 09m11.0933.48
New ZealandOceania500–1,0005001,000248.9844.9859.3122:53-67.1706:43402.502:48167.527.04422.57h 03m85.8423:17-43.407:27446.57.3438.27h 18m15.733.88

35 rows. Download all as CSV

Methodology

What was measured

Willoughby et al. analysed one year of data (Monday 4 January 2021 to Sunday 2 January 2022) from 226,187 users of the 2nd-generation Oura Ring, a consumer sleep wearable that infers sleep from motion, heart rate variability and skin temperature. Users consented to research use of anonymised data; each contributed at least 90 nights (mean 242), and periods of travel across time zones were excluded. For each night the longest sleep episode with at least 3 hours in bed was used.

Measures were averaged per user per week, separately for weekday nights (a week counted only with at least 4 of 5 work nights) and weekend nights (both nights required; Friday and Saturday nights, Thursday and Friday in the UAE), then averaged over the year per user. Every country averaged at least 200 users per week. The supplementary tables report, per country, the mean (SD) across users of:

  • Sleep onset time (SOT), wake time (WT) and mid-sleep (MST), in local clock time (Tables S2a weekday, S2b weekend)
  • Total sleep time (TST), sleep onset latency, sleep efficiency and wake after sleep onset (Tables S2c, S2d)
  • weekend-minus-weekday differences, including weekend sleep extension (TST) and social jetlag (MST) (Table S2e)
  • the band of average weekly users, mean nights per user, mean age and % male (Table S1)

How this repo processed it

The 70-page preprint PDF is pinned by OSF file version and sha256 in ingest/sleep-timing-by-country/manifest.json. Because it is larger than 900 KB, only the text layer of the six table pages (PDF pages 30 and 32–36) is committed, extracted with macOS PDFKit (extract-pages.swift, no OCR); fetch.ts re-extracts it from the downloaded PDF and requires a byte-identical result. build.ts parses those tables and:

  • keeps every number as tabulated, converting clock times to minutes relative to midnight (negative = before midnight, so 23:30 is -30) and TST minutes to hours (/60, two decimals); display strings are rounded to the minute
  • turns the user bands into lower/upper bounds using the table footnote (200+ means 200–500, and so on)
  • fails unless all tables list the same 35 countries, each mid-sleep is within 5 minutes of the onset/wake midpoint (largest gap: 0.2 min), and the weekend-minus-weekday differences recomputed from Tables S2a–S2d match Table S2e within 1 minute (largest gap: 0.02 min)

Not used: Walch, Cochran & Forger (2016, Science Advances, ENTRAIN app) show country bedtimes, wake times and sleep durations only in figures, and their supplement holds only regression tables, so their numbers can't be traced to a table.

Generated October 14, 2026 by apps/data/ingest/sleep-timing-by-country/build.ts in the site's repository.