New research has crowned Australia as the 8th most fatigued country in the world, although heavy is the head that wears the crown, obviously. The study released this week by SleepSeeker looked at a number of different factors including the number of hours worked per year and average screen time per day to reveal the countries that get the worst sleep and provide a fatigued score.
The top 10 most fatigued countries:
| Rank | Country | Fatigued Score / 10 |
| 1 | Singapore | 7.20 |
| 2 | Mexico | 7.01 |
| 3 | Brazil | 6.28 |
| 4 | USA | 5.57 |
| 5 | Japan | 5.32 |
| 6 | UK | 4.82 |
| 7 | New Zealand | 4.74 |
| 8 | Australia | 4.72 |
| 9 | China | 4.59 |
| 10 | Canada | 4.39 |
Securing the top spot as the most fatigued country is Singapore, with a fatigue score of 7.20. The small island nation in Southeast Asia is a bustling tech hub and the busy lives of Singaporeans lead to higher levels of fatigue according to the study. Also, it’s shmootzy as all hell there, so I’m sure sleeping is a real chore.
Mexico came in second with a fatigue score of 7.01. The ninth-largest economy in the world, Mexico’s growing economy is said to be impacting the work-life balance of its working population. Coming in third spot is Brazil, also home to a fast-growing technology sector, with a score of 6.28.
One of the main factors leading to fatigue taken into consideration by researchers were the average annual working hours of each country.
The countries that work the most hours per year:
| Rank | Country | Average annual working hours |
| 1 | Mexico | 2,255 |
| 2 | Singapore | 2,238 |
| 3 | China | 2,174 |
| 4 | USA | 1,757 |
| 5 | New Zealand | 1,752 |
| 6 | Japan | 1,738 |
| 7 | Italy | 1,723 |
| 8 | Brazil | 1,709 |
| 9 | Canada | 1,696 |
| 10 | UK | 1,670 |
Unsurprisingly, given their high ranking on the fatigue scales, Mexican citizens racked up the most hours of work per year, with 2,225 hours. This equates to working approximately 8.67 hours a day, five days a week, with zero holidays. Singaporeans were also up there with 2,238 average hours worked annually.
To combat the effects of fatigue, the experts at SleepSeeker have given us their top 5 tips to ensure a better nights sleep:
- Diet and exercise. Being active during the day (whether you go running or for a brisk walk) can help reduce stress and boost the amount of time you spend in the deeper/restorative stages of sleep. Try to avoid caffeine, alcohol, and large meals in the hours leading up to bedtime.
- Avoid blue light. We’re all guilty of going on our devices before bedtime, but this has an adverse effect on our ability to sleep. The blue light prevents the production of the melatonin hormone, which aids sleep. If you find it hard to sleep, you could read a book instead.
- Practice meditating. Meditation is a great way to destress and create that inner calmness before you hit the hay. There are plenty of free mindfulness resources out there to help you hone your technique and reach a perfect state of mind for sleep.
- Create a comfortable space. Make sure your bedroom is a snug environment for sleeping. There are a variety of mattresses and pillows out there with different functions to suit your needs. It’s also important to ensure your bedroom is at a comfortable temperature to avoid a restless night.
- Consistency is key. Going to sleep at the same time every night is good for your body clock and sleep consistency. So set a realistic timeframe and stick to it, even on the weekends (which is when routines are usually disrupted).