IKEA’s New Study Reveals the Biggest Barriers to Sleep

When you think of IKEA, you probably think of budget-friendly furniture, creative storage solutions, or even meatballs. You probably wouldn’t associate the retailer with a global study about sleep habits, but that’s about to change. IKEA surveyed over 55,000 people around the globe to learn about the things that are affecting our sleep—and the findings show some eye-opening takeaways about who is (or isn’t) getting quality shut-eye.

For starters, the study found that, of all the markets surveyed, the U.S. has the most disrupted sleep and the second lowest sleep score. (The survey developed a sleep score system based on factors like sleep quality, sleep duration, how long it takes to fall asleep, how often people wake up at night, etc.) One thing that could be leading to that poorer quality of sleep in the U.S. (and around the world) is something that so many of us do without thought: Scroll on our phones in bed. In fact, the study found that 72% of people use phones in bed, even though it has been shown to negatively impact sleep quality.

Find out more about the study’s findings and the biggest barriers to quality sleep below.

How Our Phones Impact Our Sleep

Most of us have heard the advice that we shouldn’t use our phones in bed or right before we go to sleep—but, as the study shows, most of us ignore that guidance. One of the most popular beliefs as to why phones are bad for sleep is the blue light emission from the screens. However, Sophie Bostock, PhD, one of the sleep experts consulted for the study, says that’s not necessarily the main concern.

“With phones, it’s not about the screen or light, it’s the displacement of sleep,” says Bostock. “People spend almost an extra 40 minutes on their phone before bed. When we’re tired we have lower self-control, and need to move the phone out of the room.”

It’s also worth noting that screentime before bed is only one habit that could be affecting sleep, and isn’t necessarily the worst one. Surprisingly, the study found the people in Mainland China and Indonesia have the two highest sleep scores despite having high bedtime phone activity.

So, if you’re looking to improve your sleep quality this year, staying off your phone in bed (or putting it in another room entirely) might be worth trying—but it’s also helpful to learn about some of the other barriers that could be affecting your sleep.

Other Barriers to Sleep

The number one reported barrier to sleep isn’t screentime or an uncomfy pillow or even a loud, snoring partner—it’s stress. “Stress can lead to poor sleep and this can therefore affect the rest of our lives,” says Bostock.

Behind stress, which 17% of people reported as their biggest barrier to sleep, 12% cited an anxiety disorder, 11% cited “overthinking,” and 8% cited sleep disorders.

Work-life balance can play a big role in causing the stress and anxiety that can lead to poor sleep quality. The study found that people who are satisfied with their work-life balance got a 15-point higher sleep score, on average, than those who aren’t satisfied.