New data reveals staggering truth about Aussie sleep patterns

New research has revealed just how much Aussies are struggling with their sleep, with more than half hitting the snooze button at least once before they eventually drag themselves out of bed.

The data, collected by Holiday Inn Express, showed Generation Z were the worst offenders, with 70 per cent in that demographic hitting snooze every morning.

Among those surveyed, one in 10 Gen Zers hit the snooze button a staggering 120 times a month, and alarmingly, 91 per cent of all Aussies surveyed revealed they struggle to get to sleep and stay asleep in a typical week.

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Sleep and wellbeing expert Olivia Arezzolo told Today there is a key habit many Australians are guilty of, which is a direct contributor to why they suffer such poor sleep.

"Nearly one in four are skipping breakfast, which is actually doing a lot more harm to our sleep than we realise," she said.

While some believe sleep is just wasted time when they could be doing something more productive, Olivia said sleep is actually "an asset" to our overall health.

"Sleep is a strategy for mental clarity, for productivity and energy," she said.

"We align our circadian clock in the sunlight, get movement and eat breakfast, if you don't have breakfast, you can actually promote circadian misalignment, which is when you are super exhausted in the morning and super alert in the evening."

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Many of us have experienced waking at least three times during the night, often around 3am, but this isn't because of "the witching hour" or because you heard a bump in the night.

"So a coffee won't cut it with helping you wake up in the morning, you need to put some food in your belly - it is essential," Olivia said.

"If you are waking around 3am, having breakfast can actually be an antidote to that and it also prevents late-night snacking, which can also sabotage your sleep and delay melatonin production, which can then contribute to morning fatigue."

Hear more about the findings and how to get a better sleep in the video above