These Cities are Getting the Best Sleep Around the World

Sleep is so essential to our wellbeing that for centuries, people have used sleep deprivation as a way to torture prisoners. Sleep deprivation can have serious implications for your mental and physical health. But it’s not just how long you get to sleep for that’s important, it’s also the quality of your sleep. If you’re in bed for ten hours but spend most of those tossing and turning, you might as well have gone without any sleep at all.

So what causes us to lose sleep? The main factors include mental or physical health conditions; the consumption of alcohol, nicotine and caffeine; being overworked and having a long and stressful commute; not having a job you love and having financial woes; chronic pain and your environment: too much noise or light, for instance. CBD brand VAAY used these factors as criteria to find the cities getting the best sleep around the world, out of 75 studied. Read on if you want to know the top six and also want to find out where Canadian cities rank.

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6. Dublin, Ireland

If you’ve only visited the Irish capital around St. Patrick’s Day, you’ll be forgiven for thinking that Dubliners spend all their nights having good craic and getting right fluthered down at the boozer. However, it turns out that during the rest of the year, Dubliners drink and smoke less than you thought and actually enjoy a good night’s sleep. The city’s highest score was for physical health and its lowest for chronic pain. The average Dubliner gets 431 minutes of sleep per night, with 32% undersleeping.

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5. Stockholm, Sweden

As one of the healthiest cities in the world, it’s no wonder that Stockholm scores exceptionally high in terms of mental and physical wellbeing. The Swedish capital’s lowest scores are for chronic pain and for alcohol, nicotine and caffeine consumption. Still, Stockholmers get an average of 430 minutes of sleep per night, with 33% of the city’s people undersleeping.

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4. Liverpool, United Kingdom

One of the most amazing destinations for music lovers, the hometown of the Fab Four will also provide the lullabies when it’s time for some shut-eye. Liverpool was one of the highest scorers for employment and finances, with its lowest score in the area of chronic pain. Scousers get an average of 433 minutes of sleep per night, with 31% not getting in quite enough of the golden slumbers the Beatles sang about.

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3. Glasgow, United Kingdom

Movies like Trainspotting have portrayed Glasgow as rife with unemployment and drug addiction. However, the Scottish city has definitely cleaned up its act and scores exceptionally high for employment and finances. The city scored low in the area of chronic pain and while its score for alcohol, nicotine and caffeine consumption is far from ideal, Glaswegians are doing very well in terms of mental and physical health. It must be that excellent Scotch whisky. On average, Glaswegians get 433 minutes of sleep per night and 31% of the city’s inhabitants are undersleeping.

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2. Auckland, New Zealand

With its glorious weather and spectacular scenery, New Zealand’s largest city was made for the outdoor lifestyle. It’s no wonder Auckland scored exceptionally high on the environmental front. Not getting enough exercise is one of the reasons why you can never get enough sleep and if you don’t feel like hiking, biking, sailing or any of the other informal physical activities Auckland has to offer, you’ll likely find a rugby or cricket game somewhere that you can join. The city’s second highest score was for employment and finances and its lowest for alcohol, nicotine and caffeine consumption. Aucklanders get an average of 437 minutes of sleep per night and only 29% are undersleeping.

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1. Amsterdam, Netherlands

The city known for its tranquil canals and buildings that look like they’re made of gingerbread comes out on top for cities getting the best sleep. On average, Amsterdammers get 435 minutes of sleep per night, with 31% undersleeping. While the city didn’t do so well in terms of chronic pain and alcohol, nicotine and caffeine consumption – the Dutch love good coffee – it got full marks for mental wellbeing and also scored the top position for employment and finances.

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50. Toronto, Ontario

So how did Canada’s cities do? The study included four. Here they are, from worst to best.

Toronto made it to number 50 in the ranking, one place lower than Atlanta and one higher than Paris. The city scored in the seventies in all areas, except for physical health, where it got a very good 91 out of 100. On average, Torontonians get 428 minutes of sleep per night, with 32% undersleeping: probably because they’re lying awake wondering how to pay the bills in Canada’s most expensive city.

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39. Calgary, Alberta

Calgary made it to number 39 in the ranking, one place above Geneva and one below St. Louis. The city’s best scores were for physical health and for not overworking: Calgarians understand the importance of working to live rather than living to work. Its lowest score was for mental health, however. On average, Calgarians sleep for 428 minutes a night, with 32% undersleeping.

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37. Vancouver, British Columbia

Vancouver is doing only a little better than Calgary when it comes to getting the best sleep. The city ranks in 37th place, one above St. Louis and one below Austin. With one of Canada’s best hiking trails right in Stanley Park, it comes as no surprise that Vancouver’s highest score was for physical health. Its lowest scores were for mental wellbeing and alcohol, nicotine and caffeine consumption. Like Calgarians, Vancouverites get on average 428 minutes of sleep per night, with 32% undersleeping.

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11. Ottawa, Ontario

Do you ever wonder how politicians sleep at night? Well, in the nation’s capital, the answer is, "Pretty well, actually." Ottawa is the Canadian city getting the best sleep and made it into 11th place overall in the VAAY study. Ottawans scored the best in physical health and not overworking. Their lowest score was for alcohol, nicotine and caffeine consumption. The average Ottawan gets 428 minutes of sleep per night, with 32% undersleeping. No other Canadian cities made the list.