Ahead of World Sleep Day (March 15th), the IKEA Sleep Uncovered report, one of the world’s largest surveys on sleep habits, uncovers stark inequality in sleep for vulnerable groups.
Conducted by GlobeScan using national consumer research panels across 57 markets where IKEA is present, the IKEA Sleep Uncovered 2025 research reveals that financially insecure individuals, the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, and women with young children all score below the global average on the study’s Sleep Score – a range from 0 to 100 based on five key factors.* Women consistently score lower than men (60 vs 65), with one in three women rating their sleep as poor. The research highlights financial stability, bedroom sharing, and stress as key determinants of sleep quality.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
Sleep, a basic human need, has become a privilege rather than a given. These findings reveal how deeply inequalities – whether financial, gender-based, or social – permeate all aspects of life, even shaping something as fundamental as rest. Poor sleep is both a symptom and a driver of inequality, affecting physical and mental health, productivity, and overall well-being. The consequences extend far beyond the bedroom: when vulnerable groups are deprived of quality sleep, it exacerbates economic hardship, widens health disparities, and reinforces cycles of disadvantage.
*The IKEA Sleep Score has been created using response data from different questions. It comprises five dimensions: Sleep quality, Sleep time, Drift-off time, Sleep flow, and Wake-up state.
The sum of the mean scores of the sub-indices builds this index. The higher the index score, the higher the quality of sleep. The indices range from 0 to 100 and sub-indices from 0 to 20.
- Sleep quality: Thinking about the past few weeks, how would you rate your sleep quality?
- Sleep time: On an average week, how many hours do you sleep daily?
- Drift-off time: On average, how long does it take you to fall asleep?
- Sleep flow: During your average sleep, how often do you wake up?
- Wake-up state: On an average week, how often do you wake up feeling tired?
Source: IKEA Sleep Uncovered report, conducted by GlobeScan for IKEA (survey of 55,221 adults across 57 markets between August and September 2024)
