By Ian Werther in News — 13 Mar 2026

Korea's Sleep Health Index Scores 66.25; Most Adults Do Not Reach Seven Hours

Simmons, the mattress maker, and the Korean Sleep Society released this year’s Korea Sleep Integration Index (KSIQ), which scored 66.25 out of 100. The score reflects a comprehensive view of national sleep health, combining patterns, satisfaction, and barriers to better rest.

The index is based on a nationwide survey of 1,000 adults aged 19 to 69, designed to gauge how Koreans sleep, how satisfied they are with their sleep, and what factors prevent them from getting adequate rest. The release was issued March 12, ahead of World Sleep Day on March 13.

"El Sueño de Endimión" es una pintura del artista francés Anne-Louis Girodet de 1791, actualmente en el Museo del Louvre (INV 4935). La obra representa al joven Endimión, un personaje de la mitología griega, en un sueño profundo. En la pintura, Endimión yace desnudo sobre una cama de hierba y flores, bajo una luz lunar suave y etérea que ilumina su figura. Su cuerpo está en una pose relajada y natural, mostrando su belleza idealizada y juvenil. Un ángel se inclina hacia él, simbolizando el amor divino y la protección. El entorno es bucólico, con árboles y un paisaje sereno, evocando un ambiente de paz y quietud. La pintura destaca por su uso delicado de la luz y la sombra, creando una atmósfera onírica y mágica. — Representative image for context; not directly related to the specific event in this article. License: CC0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Key findings show that roughly seven in ten Korean adults do not meet the medical community’s minimum guideline of seven hours of sleep per day. The most common daily duration is six to less than seven hours (38.5%), followed by five to less than six hours (25.0%) and seven to less than eight hours (24.5%).

In addition, 72.1% of respondents said they experience sleep-quality issues at least once a week due to poor sleep. About 32.5% reported that their sleep quality had worsened compared with their situation before.

The KSIQ is a joint effort by Simmons and the Korean Sleep Society to quantify sleep health in Korea by examining sleep patterns, satisfaction, and hindrances. The findings are intended to raise awareness of sleep health as a public health issue and to inform policy, business, and consumer markets focused on sleep.

Koala sleeping on a tree top — Representative image for context; not directly related to the specific event in this article. License: CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Why this matters beyond Korea: sleep health has wide-ranging implications for the United States, including productivity, healthcare costs, and safety. Chronic sleep deprivation is associated with diminished cognitive performance, higher risk of accidents, and broader impacts on mental and physical health. For U.S. policymakers and businesses, the results underscore the importance of sleep-friendly workplace practices, safe transportation and manufacturing operations, and the burgeoning market for sleep-related products and services, including mattresses, wearables, and other health tech.

World Sleep Day on March 13 emphasizes sleep as a global public health priority. While the Korea findings are national, they reflect a broader international concern about insufficient sleep and its potential consequences for workers, economies, and daily life in the United States and around the world.

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