We may like to think we're a party nation but Australians have the earliest bedtime of any country, according to a new study of global sleep patterns.

The University of Michigan research found cultural factors affected when people went to bed and for how long they slept. Spaniards were the latest to bed, the Dutch got the most sleep, and people in Singapore and Japan were the most sleep-deprived.

Australians are the first to turn in, heading to bed just after 10.45pm – about an hour earlier than the Spanish, who have the world's latest bedtime. Credit:Stocksy

The study used a free smartphone app aimed at reducing jetlag to collect sleep data from more than 5400 people in 100 countries.

It found that social and cultural pressures can override natural circadian rhythms, particularly in the evening, leading to delayed bedtimes. However, those who went to bed later didn't necessarily sleep later, meaning they tended to lose out on sleep.