Doha Residents Lose Sleep: Causes and Solutions Revealed

More than half of Doha's adult population is getting fewer than six hours of sleep a night, according to a new wellness survey released this week by Hamad Medical Corporation's Sleep Disorders Center. That figure, 51%, is up from 38% in 2020, and clinicians say the trend is accelerating.

The reasons aren't mysterious. Long working hours, round-the-clock screen use, and the city's relentless summer heat all play a role. But the biggest culprit, say sleep specialists at Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, is the growing habit of late-night dining and socialising that pushes bedtime past midnight.

“When I see patients at the clinic in Al Saad, they tell me they finish dinner near 11 p.m. after iftar or business dinners,” said Dr. Noora Al-Mohannadi, a consultant at the Sleep Disorders Center on Al Markhiyah Street. “Then they watch reels or check emails for another hour. By the time they actually try to sleep, it’s 1 a.m. and their brain is still active.”

Screen time and summer nights

Doha’s unique climate compounds the problem. From June through September, daytime temperatures regularly hit 45°C, forcing outdoor activities into the evening. Restaurants along the Corniche and cafes in Katara Cultural Village stay busy until 2 a.m. Residents who once exercised outside now shift to indoor gyms or evening walks, further delaying wind-down time.

A 2025 study by Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar found that 67% of Doha office workers reported using a screen within 30 minutes of trying to sleep. The blue light suppresses melatonin production, the hormone that regulates sleep cycles. The same study noted that sleep-onset latency-the time it takes to fall asleep-has increased by 22% among Qatari nationals since 2019.

The cost of poor sleep is measurable. Hamad Medical Corporation estimates that sleep deprivation contributes to 15% of road accidents in Doha, particularly on the F-Ring Road and Al Shamal Road. Lost productivity due to fatigue costs the Qatari economy an estimated 1.2 billion Qatari riyals annually, according to a 2024 report by the Ministry of Public Health.

What Doha residents can do tonight

The fix isn't complicated, but it requires discipline. Aspetar's sleep clinic, located on Al Waab Street, recommends a consistent bedtime-even on weekends-and no food for three hours before sleep. That means finishing dinner by 8 p.m., not 11 p.m.

Another practical step: replace evening screen time with a walk in one of Doha’s many public parks. Aspire Park, which stays open until midnight, has dedicated walking paths and low lighting that many residents find calming. Some boutique hotels, including the Marsa Malaz Kempinski in The Pearl, now offer “sleep retreats” with blackout curtains, sound machines, and guided meditation sessions for 650 riyals per night.

For those who can't afford a hotel room, the Ministry of Public Health’s “Healthy Sleep” program offers free one-on-one consultations at any of the 14 primary health centres across Doha, including the Al Wakra and Al Rayyan branches. The program has enrolled 1,400 patients since its launch in January 2025, and early data show an average increase in sleep duration of 45 minutes per night after just four weeks.

The message from clinicians is clear: we are sleeping worse, but we don't have to. Start with one small change-cutting screens an hour before bed-and see what happens. The rest of Doha might just do the same.