Why the UAE’s Late-to-Bed Culture is a Biological Win
The UAE is fast gaining a reputation for being a nation that never dims. With our social calendars buzzing 24/7 and flourishing especially after sunset, the concept of ‘early to bed, early to rise’ is not common, and neither is the traditional 8-hour sleep rule. But what comes as a pleasant surprise is that residents here actually get some of the world’s best quality sleep!
The State of Sleep report explores how people in the UAE sleep compared with the rest of the world, and uncovered how residents here get some of the world’s best quality sleep, averaging a sleep efficiency score - the time in bed spent actually sleeping - of 85.7%, despite getting just 6.85 hours of sleep per night. This actually indicates that we aren’t only staying up late, but in fact mastering the art of the high-performance rest.
For years, night owls were told they were fighting a losing battle against the morning-centric corporate world. But the UAE is actually flipping that narrative. The report identifies the Emirates as having the highest percentage of late-evening chronotypes globally (6.67%, more than double the worldwide average). Our natural window - drifting off at 12:06 AM and rising at 7:57 AM, isn't a sign of poor discipline, but is indicative of a population living in harmony with its biological clock. Research suggests that fighting your chronotype leads to "circadian misalignment," a primary driver of long-term health issues. And the good news is that in the UAE, we are working with it, instead of against it.
The Efficiency Edge: Better than the West?
When compared to the traditional "early-to-bed" cultures of Finland, the UK and the US, the UAE consistently pulls ahead in sleep efficiency. Even Japan which is a country synonymous with short sleep durations, cannot match the UAE’s consistency in REM and Deep Sleep stages.
“Sleep quality is one of the most important indicators of long-term health, and the UAE is a standout example of protecting quality when life demands make quantity a challenge,” said Doug Sweeny, CMO at ŌURA. “In a place where nights run late and productivity is a cultural norm, we’re seeing a nation work with the body’s natural circadian rhythms rather than against them. By understanding and respecting individual chronotypes - whether you peak early, later, or somewhere in between - UAE residents are tailoring their rest and activity for deeper, more restorative sleep. As we grow ŌURA across the region, we’re bringing science-backed insights that help people understand their unique bodies and identify the small, meaningful changes that can move the needle on their sleep and overall health.”
The report highlights a striking gender divide in the quest for restorative rest. Women in the UAE are officially the country’s sleep champions, clocking in nearly 30 minutes more rest than men (7.07 hours vs. 6.59 hours).
More importantly, women demonstrate more stable recovery behaviours and more consistent REM patterns. This suggests a growing trend of women in the region prioritizing the luxury of a well-regulated nervous system and a body that has been allowed to fully repair itself.
The New Accessory of Wellbeing
The data arrives with the UAE launch of the Oura Ring 4, including the sleek Ceramic edition. As wellness shifts from ‘going to the gym’ to ‘managing my data,’ these smart rings have become the understated badge of the health-conscious elite. It turns out that living a full life doesn't require us to give up our nights, it just requires us to understand them better.
Oura Ring 4 and Oura Ring 4 Ceramic are now available at Virgin Megastores, and Dubai Duty Free and via the ŌURA website and Amazon.ae.
* The findings are based on sleep data collected from Oura Members in the UAE and globally over a 12-month period, from October 2024 to September 2025. The analysis draws on aggregated, anonymised insights from millions of members across the world.
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