World Sleep Day: Kiwis get the most sleep according to Fitbit data

On average, Kiwis get 7.25 hours of shuteye a night. Photo / NZ Onscreen

If there was ever a day to sleep in, surely today, World Sleep Day is it. Failing a lie in, we reckon it's completely acceptable to skive off for a nap at work. Good luck with that one.

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Getting enough quality sleep is key to a healthy lifestyle and can boost brain function and longevity. On the flip side, a lack of sleep has been linked to heart disease, obesity, diabetes and poor mental health.

And while you may feel like you never getting as much shuteye as you'd like, data collected by Fitbit has found that as a Kiwi, you're getting a lot more than the rest of the world.

How New Zealand compares to the rest of the world. Image / NZ Herald

According to the data gathered between January and December last year, Kiwis sleep for an average of 7.25 hours per night, beating out the UK and Australia for the top spot.

Coming in with the lowest amount of sleep are Asian countries Singapore, India and Japan, where people get a mere 6.35 hours a night.

But the fact that we're getting the most sleep doesn't mean we're necessarily getting the best.

For Fitbit fans, the company is releasing a new device, the Fitbit Alta HR which features two sleep-improving tools:

Sleep Stages can help you understand the quality of sleep you are getting. It analyses your heart rate variability to determine how long you spend in light, deep and REM sleep.

And Sleep Insights provides recommendations on how you can improve your sleep.

Goodnight kiwi lullaby. Photo / NZONSCREEN