Australians and New Zealanders are the world’s longest sleepers, new ŌURA report finds

ŌURA, maker of the world's most trusted smart ring, today released its ANZ: The State of Sleep Report 2026, exploring how Oura Members in Australia and New Zealand sleep compared to the rest of the world. The report revealed that the two nations get more sleep than any other country analysed, yet struggle to find recovery amidst high levels of stress during the day.

Longer Nights, Earlier Mornings: ANZ's Unique Sleep Rhythm

New Zealanders rank number one globally for the longest sleep duration each night, getting an average of 7 hours 11 minutes, followed closely by Australians at 7 hours 9 minutes. At the same time, New Zealanders and Australians are also the world's earliest risers, both pulling back the sheets just after 7:00am, almost an hour before UAE-based Oura Members who get up just before 8:00am.

This early rising is likely due to the circadian rhythms of these two countries being skewed towards early mornings. In fact, around 43% of Aussies and 39% of Kiwis fall into early morning or morning chronotypes - the highest percentage globally. Only 5% of Australians and 4% of New Zealanders fall into the evening or late evening chronotype, meaning the majority of Aussies and Kiwis are biologically driven to feel more alert earlier in the day. 

High Stress, Minimal Rest: Aussies Struggle to Recover

Australians might be champion sleepers, but their days tell a different story. With an average of 107 minutes of physiological stress and just 55 minutes of recovery each day, Aussies get the least daytime rest and recovery of any country analysed.

The picture is slightly brighter in New Zealand, with an average of 101 stressed minutes per day. But, like their Australian neighbours, Kiwis are still struggling to build in restorative pauses, suggesting two nations that are compensating for hectic days with longer nights.

"What we're seeing in Australia and New Zealand is a reminder that sleep duration alone doesn't tell the full story," said Doug Sweeny, CMO at ŌURA. "Recovery is a 24-hour equation: if stress isn't managed during the day, the body carries that load into the night. The encouraging thing is that many of our members here are already working with their bodies - waking early, going to bed early, and aligning their daily rhythms with their biology, something they can do confidently with ŌURA. This is why we're so excited to keep bringing science-backed insights to ANZ: to help make small, meaningful changes that support overall health. We're continuing that work with partners like Saint Haven, where those insights come to life in real‑world spaces designed to support deeper rest and recovery."

Oura Ring 4 and Oura Ring 4 Ceramic are available to buy in Australia and New Zealand through the ŌURA website: ouraring.com. Oura Ring can also be purchased at JB Hi-Fi, and Harvey Norman. 

The ANZ: The State of Sleep Report 2026 findings are based on sleep data collected from a minimum of 5000 Oura Members each in Australia, New Zealand and other global countries 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.