Princess Cruises’ first global survey on relaxation and sleeping behaviors of people in 12 countries, including Vietnam, found that 60 per cent of Vietnamese check social media before going to bed and this is one of the highest numbers globally, second only to Indonesia, with 62 per cent.

The survey also found that 59 per cent of Vietnamese watch TV before sleeping. Studies have shown that using blue light-emitting devices before bed can prevent people from getting quality sleep.

Millennials in Vietnam (76 per cent of those surveyed) are much more likely to check social media before sleeping. Interestingly, despite the high use of social media in Asian nations, the survey found that only 23 per cent of people in South Korea and 24 per cent in Japan check social media before sleeping.

The 12 countries surveyed in the Princess Cruises Relaxation Report were Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan (China), Japan, Hong Kong, China, South Korea, the US, the UK, and Australia. Over 1,000 adults in each country participated in the online survey.

While Vietnamese are disciplined about their sleep schedule, with 83 per cent having a consistent bedtime, the hustle and bustle of city life may still be taking its toll on their wellbeing. Vietnam has the second highest number of “early birds” in the world, with about 31 per cent going to bed before 10pm and waking before 6.30am. This is most likely due to a preference for avoiding heavy traffic during peak hours when travelling to work.

A high number of Vietnamese (95 per cent) take time off work each year just to catch up on sleep. In fact, 63 per cent of Vietnamese take a full week or more off just to rest and 92 per cent use weekends to make up for sleep lost during the week. All these figures are the highest globally. This may mean the majority of people go on overdrive during the week and then crash over the weekends.

One way that working Vietnamese can relax is to take a holiday. However, the survey found that more than a quarter of Vietnamese (27 per cent) did not take all of the holidays available to them in the last year.

Even going on holiday does not guarantee better rest, as a very high number of Vietnamese (94 per cent) frequently struggle to get a good night’s sleep while on holiday.

When travelling across two or more time zones, 76 per cent of Vietnamese typically experience unpleasant side effects including disturbed sleep, such as insomnia or early waking, daytime fatigue, and headaches, which can all get in the way of enjoying pleasurable activities while on holiday. On a cruise, the opportunity to enjoy a vast range of activities onboard can help Vietnamese holiday makers relax and unwind.

Vietnam Economic Times