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On average, how much sleep do adults get compared to children?

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On average, how much sleep do adults get compared to children?

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We decided to do a study on sleep schedules between children and adults because we wanted to see how age and sleeping are related. We are interested in sociology and medicine so we thought that this topic fits our interests quite well. This topic also seems manageable to perform a study of with the help of peers at Clinton. Finding out how much people sleep on average might also be able to reveal reasons as to why we do things and how stressed certain individuals may be at different ages. Ultimately, we hope to find out at what ages the amount of hours that people sleep decreases.

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Sleep plays an integral role in health. A good night's sleep empowers the body to recover and lets you wake up refreshed and ready to take on the day.

Unfortunately, many people have sleep problems and don't get the rest that they need. Insufficient sleep and poor quality sleep can be due to diverse factors including sleep disorders, medical conditions, and mental health. Sleep issues affect people of all ages, and its impacts can be far-reaching.

While sleep is too complex to sum up with only numbers, reviewing basic facts and figures about sleep can help you understand how sleep works, why it's important, and the depth of the sleep deprivation problem in the United States.

Statistics About How We Sleep

📝 Got a hot tip? Pitch us your story idea, share your expertise with SleepFoundation.org, or let us know about your sleep experiences right here.

Statistics About Insufficient Sleep

Almost half of all Americans⁸ say they feel sleepy during the day between three and seven days per week.

35.2% of all adults in the U.S.report sleeping on average for less than seven hours per night.

At 43%, Hawaii has the highest percentage of adults who get seven or fewer hours of sleep per night. South Dakota, at 26%, has the lowest percentage.

Of major cities in the United States, Boulder, Colorado has the lowest percentage of adults who sleep less than seven hours per night, coming in at 24.2%. Camden, New Jersey and Detroit, Michigan tie for the highest rate, with 49.8% of adults in those cities reporting short sleep.

When compared to whites, black adults are almost twice as likely to describe sleeping too little and are 60% more likely to report sleeping too much.

After adjusting for age, insufficient sleep by race and ethnicity shows clear differences with 46.3% of Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders, 45.8% of black people, 40.4% of American Indians/Alaska Natives, 37.5% of Asians, 34.5% of Hispanics, and 33.4% of whites reporting getting less than seven hours of sleep.

42.6% of single parents sleep less than seven hours per night compared to 32.7% of adults in two-parent homes and 31% of adults with no children.

32.6% of working adults reported sleeping six or fewer hours per night in 2017-2018, up from 28.4% in 2008-2009.

More than 44% of workers in production-focused industries, such as factory workers and plant operators, report getting seven hours of sleep or less per night.

Active duty service members are 34% more likely to report insufficient sleep than people with no history of military service.

Statistics About Sleep Disorders

People may apply up to 250 pounds of force when grinding their teeth during sleep.

Statistics About Sleep Disruptions

Statistics About Sleep in Children and Teens

Statistics About the Impact of Insufficient Sleep

Statistics About Sleep and Mental Health

Statistics About Sleep Hygiene

Sleep hygiene is a term that includes both the bedroom environment and sleep-related habits. Optimizing sleep hygiene can play an important role in addressing sleep insufficiency.

93% of people⁵⁷ say that a comfortable mattress is important to being able to get quality sleep.

Statistics About Sleep Aids

+69 Sources

National Sleep Foundation. (2020, March 7). The National Sleep Foundation's 2020 Sleep in America® Poll Shows Alarming Level of Sleepiness and Low Levels of Action. Retrieved October 22, 2020, from

National Sleep Foundation. (2012, April 1). There's No Place Like Home for Sleep According to New National Bedroom Poll. Retrieved October 8, 2020, from

National Sleep Foundation. (2012, April 1). Bedroom Poll: Summary of Findings. Retrieved October 22, 2020, from

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Sleep plays an integral role in health. A good night's sleep empowers the body to recover and lets you wake up refreshed and ready to take on the day. Unfortunately, many people have sleep problems and don't get the rest that they need.

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Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Sleep duration is thought to have declined in many modern-day societies. In the United States, for example, limited data indicate that the prevalence of adults who sleep ≤ 6 h may have increased over time. However, a review of studies from the United States concluded that the available information painted an uncertain picture.

Because the impetus for public health interventions to address sleep health depends on a thorough knowledge of its epidemiology, additional information about trends in sleep duration in the United States population is desirable. Consequently, our objective was to examine the trend in self-reported sleep duration among US adults from 2004 to 2012. To provide a longer-term perspective, we also compared data from 2004- 2012 to that for 1985.

METHODS

This analysis is based on data from the National Health Interview Survey for the years 1985, 1990, and 2004-2012. Potential participants were selected using a multistage area probability design and were representative of the civilian noninstitutionalized US population. During the first stage, a sample of primary sampling units (PSUs) consisting of a county, a small group of contiguous counties, or a metropolitan statistical area was drawn from the universe of PSUs. During the second stage, a sample of area segments comprising eight, 12, or 16 addresses and permit segments composed of housing units built after a census is drawn from the selected PSUs. One adult was randomly selected from each family. Interviews were conducted in participants' homes. The response rates for adult sample persons were 90% in 1985 and 83.4% in 1990, and ranged from 60.8% in 2010 to 72.5% in 2004. Detailed information about the designs of the surveys and changes to the designs can be found elsewhere.

Sleep duration was assessed with the question "On average, how many hours of sleep do you get in a 24-h period?" Answers were given in whole hours. We included age, sex, and race or ethnicity (non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, other) as covariates.

Only adults aged ≥ 18 y were included in the analyses. We calculated age-adjusted estimates using the direct method with the year 2000 projected US population as the standard (18-24 y, 25-34 y, 35-44 y, 45-54 y, 55-64 y, 65-74 y, and ≥ 75 y). Tests for linear trends were calculated by using orthogonal linear contrast coefficients. Prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated by using log-linear regression that included all covariates. The statistical software programs SAS (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC) and SUDAAN (RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC) were used to conduct the analyses to account for the complex sampling design of the surveys.

RESULTS

Of the 33,630 and 41,104 participants in 1985 and 1990, respectively, 33,239 and 40,892 had a value for sleep duration. For the years 2004-2012, a total of 254,630 participants aged ≥ 18 y were asked about their sleep duration, and 250,111 had a useable value. Mean age increased significantly (P trend < 0.001), the percentage of non-Hispanic white participants declined significantly (P trend < 0.001), and the percentage of men remained stable.

The age-adjusted mean sleep duration was 7.40 h (95% CI: 7.38-7.41) in 1985 and was 7.18 h (95% CI: 7.16-7.20) in 2012 (Table S1, supplemental material). Compared with mean sleep duration in 1985, means in 2012 were significantly (P < 0.001) lower among all adults (−0.22 h), men (−0.19 h), women (−0.25 h), non-Hispanic Whites (−0.20 h), non-Hispanic Blacks (−0.44 h), Hispanics (−0.12 h), and in all age groups except ages ≥ 75 y). In addition, there were significant declines (P < 0.001) among non-Hispanic White men (−0.19 h) and women (−0.21 h), non-Hispanic Black men (−0.35 h) and women (−0.50 h), Hispanic women (−0.16 h), and non-Hispanic other men (−0.22 h) and women (−0.29 h). Assuming a US resident population of approximately 240 million in 2012, an average loss of 0.22 h or 13 min would translate into approximately 52.8 million h of sleep having been lost. Since 2004, however, the age-adjusted mean sleep duration changed little (P trend = 0.982).

The distribution of sleep duration between 1985 and 2012 differed significantly (P < 0.001) ( Figure 1A). Compared with 1985, the increase in the percentage of adults who reported sleeping ≤ 6 h in a 24-h period in 2012 was accompanied by decreases in the percentages of adults who reported sleeping 7-8 and ≥ 9 h in a 24-h period (P < 0.001) ( Figure 1 B).

The age-adjusted percentages of sleeping ≤ 6 h were 22.3% in 1985, 28.6% in 2004, and 29.2% in 2012 (Table S2, supplemental material). The unadjusted and age-adjusted prevalence ratios for 2012 compared with 1985 were 1.33 (95% CI: 1.28, 1.37) and 1.33 (95% CI: 1.28, 1.37), respectively ( Figure 1 C), and the prevalence ratio for 2012 compared to 1985 remained similar after adjustment for age, sex, and race or ethnicity (PR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.27, 1.37). The age-adjusted prevalence ratio for 2012 versus 2004 was 0.98 (95% CI: 0.95, 1.01). The associations between time in years and sleep duration ≤ 6 h varied significantly by sex (P interaction = 0.002) and by race or ethnicity (P interaction = 0.014). The associations of age, sex, and race or ethnicity with short sleep duration for data aggregated from 2004 to 2012 are shown in (supplemental material.

The unadjusted percentage of participants who reported sleeping on average ≤ 6 h in a 24-h period was significantly higher in 2012 (29.2%) than in 1985 (22.0%) (P < 0.001). Thus, approximately 38.6 million US adults, using the resident population, reported sleeping ≤ 6 h in a 24-h period in 1985, and 70.1 million US adults reported sleeping ≤ 6 h in a 24-h period in 2012.

In 2012, 62.3% of adults reported sleeping 7-8 h in a 24-h period after age adjustment compared with 65.9% in 1985 (P < 0.001) and with 62.8% in 2004 (P trend = 0.004). The significant decline between 1985 and 2012 was observed among men, women, most age groups, and non-Hispanic Whites (Table S3, supplemental material). An increase in sleeping 7-8 h was observed among adults aged ≥ 75 y (P = 0.004). Al -though the estimates from 2004 to 2012 showed slight variation in most demographic groups, the tests for trend for several demographic subgroups suggested an overall decline in the percentage during the period.

The age-adjusted percentages of adults who reported sleeping ≥ 9 h in a 24-h period were 11.9% in 1985, 8.6% in 2004, and 8.6% in 2012 (Table S4, supplemental material). The estimate for 2012 was significantly lower than that for 1985 in all participants (P < 0.001) and in most subgroups. No signifi-cant trend from 2004 to 2012 was observed ( Figure 1 D). The associations between time and sleep duration varied significantly by sex (P interaction = 0.647) and by race or ethnicity (P interaction < 0.001).

Trends in sleep duration by educational status are shown in Table S5, supplemental material.

DISCUSSION

Our analyses indicate that the mean reported sleep duration and the percentage sleeping ≤ 6 h in a 24-h period changed little during the period from 2004 to 2012. White men reported sleeping on average 3 min more in 2012 than in 2004, and non-Hispanic Black men reported sleeping on average 8 fewer min than in 2004. Compared to 1985, however, mean sleep duration and the percentage of adults who reported sleeping ≤ 6 h in a 24-h period declined significantly.

Limited information about trends in sleep duration in the US population has been published. Previous studies have provided mixed findings about the trend in sleep duration in the United States. Infographics using data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) showed that the percentage of adults sleeping ≤ 6 h was higher in 2004 or 2006 than in 1985. Our results showing an increase in the percentage of adults who reported sleeping ≤ 6 h in a 24-h period in each year from 2004 to 2012 compared to 1985 are consistent with those findings and build on those findings by expanding the time horizon. From 2004 to 2012, however, sleep duration generally changed little. Because participants in the NHIS were asked to report the time spent sleeping during a 24-h period, it is conceivable that participants may have included the time spent napping in their responses. A subsequent study from 1975 to 2006 examined data from eight national datasets that contained information from time diaries. Based on all available data, no significant linear trend was observed, but some periods had a higher percentage of adults who slept ≤ 6 h than adults in 1975. When the data were stratified by employment status, the percentage of full-time workers who slept ≤ 6 h was higher during 1998-1999 and later years. Thus, this study did not yield convincing evidence that the percentage of short sleepers had changed between 1975 and 2006. In Alameda County, the percentage of participants who slept < 7 h per night increased from 15% in 1965 to 25% in 1999 among white participants, from 26% to 54% among African American participants, and from 12% to 37% among Hispanic participants. More recently, an analysis of time-use surveys showed a decrease in the percentage of short sleep duration from 1985 (11.7%) to 2007 (9.2%).

In light of the many adverse associations between insufficient sleep and health outcomes, the loss of sleep in many modern-day societies has caused considerable consternation. These decreases have been attributed to a host of reasons including competing interests for time with the advent of the electronic age and the many electronic toys and technology, increasing demands from work, increasingly harried lifestyles, and possible increases in perceived stress. It is unclear whether the recession of 2007 to 2009 and its lingering effects may have affected sleep duration. The age-adjusted mean sleep duration varied little from 2004 to 2012 as did the age-adjusted percentage of adults reporting sleeping < 7 h. Noteworthy is that the age-adjusted percentage reporting sleeping ≥ 9 h increased from 2007 to 2010 (P 2010 versus 2007 < 0.001) and then declined through 2012. Although the mean change in self-reported sleep duration comprised about 0.22 h or 13 min since 1985, the change in the prevalence of adults sleeping ≤ 6 h was more pronounced. Whether such changes are sufficient to adversely affect population health is unknown.

Our results show that the prevalence of long sleep duration decreased from 1985 to 2004 and subsequently changed little through 2012. Long sleep duration has been associated with poor health outcomes. If long sleep duration is causally related to adverse health outcomes, our results could suggest that the risk associated with long sleep duration may have decreased from 1985 to 2004. However, an analysis of time-use surveys showed that long sleep duration (> 9 h) in the United States had increased from 26.3% in 1985 to 37.5% in 2007.

Large sample sizes and the representative nature of the data are important strengths of this study. The self-reported information about sleep duration is the chief limitation of this study. Although the question used in the NHIS has not been validated with tests such as polysomnography or actigraphy, similar questions have been routinely used in observational studies. Some efforts to examine the validity and reliability of simple self-reported questions about sleep duration have been made. Furthermore, sleep duration in the NHIS was not assessed from 1986 to 1989 and from 1991 to 2003, and thus pinpointing the exact survey year or time period when sleep duration may have changed was not feasible. Although the questions about sleep duration remained the same in the surveys included in our study, the redesigns of the NHIS including revisions to the questionnaire in 1997 may have affected the estimates.

In conclusion, self-reported sleep duration decreased from 1985 into the 2000s but changed little from 2004 to 2012. Additional data about sleep duration in the United States using other assessment methods would be helpful in gauging past and future changes in sleep duration. The National Institutes of Health suggest that healthy adults should sleep 7-8 h, and Healthy People 2020 includes an objective for ≥ 8 h of sleep for adults aged 18-21 y and ≥ 7 h for adults aged 22 y and older. Thus, reducing the percentage of adults who are not sleeping sufficiently remains an important public health objective.

REFERENCES

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Trends in Self-Reported Sleep Duration among US Adults from 1985 to 2012

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Sleep duration is thought to have declined in many modern-day societies. In the United States, for example, limited data indicate that the prevalence of adults who sleep ≤ 6 h may have increased over time. However, a review of studies from the United States concluded that the available information painted an uncertain picture.

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If you eat well and exercise regularly, but don't get at least seven hours of sleep every night, you may be undermining all of your other efforts.

And we're not being dramatic! Sleep is crucial for our health - and many of us are lacking when it comes to it.

"First and foremost we need to make sleep a priority," says sleep expert Michelle Drerup, PsyD, DBSM. "We always recommend a good diet and exercise to everyone, but along the same lines we recommend proper sleep as well."

How much sleep do you actually need?

Everyone feels better after a good night's rest. But now, thanks to a report from the National Sleep Foundation, you can aim for a targeted sleep number tailored to your age.

The foundation based its report on two years of research and breaks it down into nine age-specific categories, with a slight range that allows for individual preferences:

Adults, 65+ years: 7 to 8 hours.

Adults, 26 to 64 years: 7 to 9 hours.

Young adults, 18 to 25 years: 7 to 9 hours.

Teenagers, 14 to 17 years: 8 to 10 hours.

School-age children, 6 to 13 years: 9 to 11 hours.

Preschool children, 3 to 5 years: 10 to 13 hours.

Toddlers, 1 to 2 years: 11 to 14 hours.

Infants, 4 to 11 months: 12 to 15 hours.

Newborns, 0 to 3 months: 14 to 17 hours.

Doctors have also found evidence that genetic, behavioral and environmental factors help determine how much sleep you need for your best health and daily performance.

But a minimum of seven hours of sleep is a step in the right direction to improve your health, Dr. Drerup advises.

What happens when you don't get enough sleep?

Your doctor urges you to get enough sleep for good reason, Dr. Drerup says. Shorting yourself on shut-eye has a negative impact on your health in many ways:

Short-term problems can include:

Lack of alertness. Even missing as little as 1.5 hours can have an impact on how you feel.

Excessive daytime sleepiness. It can make you very sleepy and tired during the day.

Impaired memory. Lack of sleep can affect your ability to think, remember and process information.

Relationship stress. It can make you feel moody and you can become more likely to have conflicts with others.

Quality of life. You may become less likely to participate in normal daily activities or to exercise.

Greater likelihood for car accidents. Drowsy driving accounts for thousands of crashes, injuries and fatalities each year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

If you continue operating without enough sleep, you may see more long-term and serious health problems. Some of the most serious potential problems associated with chronic sleep deprivation are high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, heart failure or stroke. Other potential problems include obesity, depression, reduced immune system function and lower sex drive.

Chronic sleep deprivation can even affect your appearance. Over time, it can lead to premature wrinkling and dark circles under your eyes. There's also a link between lack of sleep and an increase in the amount of the stress hormone cortisol in your body. Cortisol can break down collagen, the protein that keeps skin smooth. In other words, a lack of sleep could mean more wrinkles!

How to sleep better

If you're experiencing mild, occasional problems with sleep, try these simple strategies from Dr. Drerup.

1. Treat getting enough sleep as if it is as important as taking medicine

With all the demands on our time every day, you might put a good night's rest at the bottom of your priority list. But Dr. Drerup says we need to schedule adequate time for sleep.

"It's very easy to stay up late and burn the candle at both ends," she says. "However, when you do that, you quickly run into a problem of dealing with sleep deprivation."

2. Keep a consistent wake time

Wake up at the same time every day, including weekends or days off. Waking at the same time every day actually helps you sleep better at night. A fixed wake time helps build a strong desire for sleep throughout wakefulness. This sleep drive gradually builds, and shortening it by sleeping in will make it harder to fall asleep the next night. Sleeping in on the weekend makes it much more difficult to wake up earlier on Monday morning.

It's also important to do some relaxing activity, recommends Dr. Drerup, like taking a warm bath or reading a book before bedtime. By making these activities part of your bedtime ritual, you can train yourself to associate these activities with sleep. This association will help you move more easily into slumber.

3. Put away the smart phones and tablets

Electronic devices keep your mind humming - and far from the relaxed state you need to achieve before bedtime. Dr. Drerup advises it's a good idea to put away devices like smart phones and tablets at least one hour before bedtime.

4. If you do wake up during the night, avoid looking at the clock

"The minute you look at that time it's not just looking at one number," Dr. Drerup says. "You start mental calculations, you think about how long it's been since you've been in bed and what you have to do the next day. And before you know it, a long time has passed and that cuts into your sleep time."

Make time for down time

"In our society, nowadays, people aren't getting enough sleep. They put sleep so far down on their priority list because there are so many other things to do - family, personal stuff and work life," Dr. Drerup notes. "These are challenges, but if people understand how important adequate sleep is, and how to sleep better, it makes a huge difference."

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Here's What Happens When You Don't Get Enough Sleep (And How Much You Really Need a Night)

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If you eat well and exercise regularly, but don't get at least seven hours of sleep every night, you may be undermining all of your other efforts. And we're not being dramatic! Sleep is crucial for our health - and many of us are lacking when it comes to it.

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U.S. News and World reportJohns Hopkins All Children's Hospital Ranks #1 in Florida

Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital is the number one children's hospital in Florida according to the 2023-2024 U.S. News & World Report survey.

Expert Pediatric Care Close to Home

Make a Difference

The Johns Hopkins All Children's Foundation supports the vital work of the hospital, for our patients, their families, and the community. Join us.

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Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital is the number one children's hospital in Florida according to the 2023-2024 U.S. News & World Report survey. Expert Pediatric Care Close to Home Make a Difference The Johns Hopkins All Children's Foundation supports the vital work of the hospital, for our patients, their families, and the community.

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Sleep is an essential part of your body's mental and physical wellness. However, it's easy to forget how important sleep is until you have trouble getting it. People who have either an occasional poor night of sleeping or chronic sleep problems may benefit from learning the many reasons you may not sleep well, including medical problems, sleep disorders, your sleep environment, mental health conditions, and more.

Reviewing some interesting facts about sleep and sleep statistics may remind you why sleep is so important and how much you need, as well as the health effects of not sleeping well.
How Much Sleep Do You Need?
The National Sleep Foundation recommends seven to nine hours of sleep per night for adults between 18 and 64 years old. Adults over 65 may need 7-8 hours.

More than one-third of adults in the National Sleep Foundation's 2020 Sleep in America Poll aren't getting the recommended sleep and feel sleepy during the day at least half the week or more. Many say it affects their mood, mental sharpness, and productivity daily. In fact, people in the survey said feeling tired impacts their work performance, ability to exercise, and negatively affects their relationships with friends and family. Let's look at why.
What Keeps You Up at Night

Between 10% and 30% of adults struggle with insomnia.

2% - 9% of adults are affected by obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Women typically report poorer quality and more disrupted sleep across various life stages than men.

89% of adults and 75% of children have at least one electronic device in their bedrooms.

Common causes of chronic insomnia include:

35% of all adults in the U.S. report sleeping for less than seven hours per night on average.

About half of all Americans say they feel sleepy during the day anywhere from three to seven times a week.

There are many effective treatments for insomnia including lifestyle changes, behavioral therapy, and medication. What's more, snoring, which can keep you from getting quality sleep, may be linked to OSA, though not everyone who snores has it. There are treatments for OSA, too . Women may be more prone to disrupted sleep due to hormonal changes-such as the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, menopause-or to conditions that are more common in women, such as depression and fibromyalgia.

To improve sleep quality , try limiting alcohol and caffeine intake since both can stay in your system for a long time and can cause nightly bathroom trips, which disrupt sleep. Plus, blue light from phones and electronics can upset the natural sleep/wake cycle and block melatonin, which makes you feel sleepy. Turn off gadgets at bedtime, dim their brightness, and stop using them 2-3 hours before bed.
How You Think About Sleep

39% of adults plan for how much sleep they need when thinking about the next day.

65% of adults think getting enough sleep makes you more effective.

54% of parents believe sleep has an impact on their child's school performance.

Getting good quality sleep depends a variety of factors, one of which is the type of sleep you get . For example, slow-wave sleep is the deepest sleep which helps you feel restored and refreshed for the next day. You also cycle in and out of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep , the stage of sleep where you dream, throughout the night. REM is responsible for helping you stay mentally sharp and focused, so you can be most productive. To help get good quality sleep, keep a regular bedtime routine and stay off phones and computers right before bed to avoid their sleep-inhibiting blue light.
How to Get More Sleep

93% of people say a comfortable mattress is important for good sleep.

54% of parents and 60% of children take a bath or shower to help them sleep.

Children whose parents enforce bedtime rules sleep 1.1 hours longer than children whose parents don't enforce rules.

28% of adults in the U.S. use a smartphone app to help them track their sleep.

Create a sleep-friendly bedroom including a cool, dark, quiet room with a comfortable mattress to help you sleep well. And try out some sleep technology such as a sleep tracking app, lights that gradually fade at bedtime, and smart home technology that can shut off your Wifi at night. Lastly, healthy sleep tips like maintaining a regular bed and wake time and avoiding alcohol, caffeine, and naps can help you improve your sleep.

These sleep statistics and their significance to our overall health and well-being can help provide a basis of information for good sleep practices that work for a majority of the population.

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Sleep is an essential part of your body's mental and physical wellness. However, it's easy to forget how important sleep is until you have trouble getting it. People who have either an occasional poor night of sleeping or chronic sleep problems may benefit from learning the many reasons you may not sleep well, including medical problems, sleep disorders, your sleep environment, mental health conditions, and more.

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Average amount of sleep between adults and children:

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Average amount of sleep between adults and children:

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Pro:
This source provided me with information on how the amount of sleep you get decreases as you are older. This source also showed me how poor sleeping conditions can lead to many different medical and mental health conditions.

-From the ages of 13 to 19, average total sleep per night drops by 40 to 50 minutes

-57.8% of middle schoolers and 72.7% of high school students get less than the recommended amount of sleep for their age.

- Almost half of all Americans say they feel sleepy during the day between three and seven days per week.

-35.2% of all adults in the U.S report sleeping on average for less than seven hours per night.

-32.6% of working adults reported sleeping six or fewer hours per night in 2017-2018, up from 28.4% in 2008-2009.

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Sleep plays an integral role in health. A good night's sleep empowers the body to recover and lets you wake up refreshed and ready to take on the day.

Unfortunately, many people have sleep problems and don't get the rest that they need. Insufficient sleep and poor quality sleep can be due to diverse factors including sleep disorders, medical conditions, and mental health. Sleep issues affect people of all ages, and its impacts can be far-reaching.

While sleep is too complex to sum up with only numbers, reviewing basic facts and figures about sleep can help you understand how sleep works, why it's important, and the depth of the sleep deprivation problem in the United States.

Statistics About How We Sleep

📝 Got a hot tip? Pitch us your story idea, share your expertise with SleepFoundation.org, or let us know about your sleep experiences right here.

Statistics About Insufficient Sleep

Almost half of all Americans⁸ say they feel sleepy during the day between three and seven days per week.

35.2% of all adults in the U.S.report sleeping on average for less than seven hours per night.

At 43%, Hawaii has the highest percentage of adults who get seven or fewer hours of sleep per night. South Dakota, at 26%, has the lowest percentage.

Of major cities in the United States, Boulder, Colorado has the lowest percentage of adults who sleep less than seven hours per night, coming in at 24.2%. Camden, New Jersey and Detroit, Michigan tie for the highest rate, with 49.8% of adults in those cities reporting short sleep.

When compared to whites, black adults are almost twice as likely to describe sleeping too little and are 60% more likely to report sleeping too much.

After adjusting for age, insufficient sleep by race and ethnicity shows clear differences with 46.3% of Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders, 45.8% of black people, 40.4% of American Indians/Alaska Natives, 37.5% of Asians, 34.5% of Hispanics, and 33.4% of whites reporting getting less than seven hours of sleep.

42.6% of single parents sleep less than seven hours per night compared to 32.7% of adults in two-parent homes and 31% of adults with no children.

32.6% of working adults reported sleeping six or fewer hours per night in 2017-2018, up from 28.4% in 2008-2009.

More than 44% of workers in production-focused industries, such as factory workers and plant operators, report getting seven hours of sleep or less per night.

Active duty service members are 34% more likely to report insufficient sleep than people with no history of military service.

Statistics About Sleep Disorders

People may apply up to 250 pounds of force when grinding their teeth during sleep.

Statistics About Sleep Disruptions

Statistics About Sleep in Children and Teens

Statistics About the Impact of Insufficient Sleep

Statistics About Sleep and Mental Health

Statistics About Sleep Hygiene

Sleep hygiene is a term that includes both the bedroom environment and sleep-related habits. Optimizing sleep hygiene can play an important role in addressing sleep insufficiency.

93% of people⁵⁷ say that a comfortable mattress is important to being able to get quality sleep.

Statistics About Sleep Aids

+69 Sources

National Sleep Foundation. (2020, March 7). The National Sleep Foundation's 2020 Sleep in America® Poll Shows Alarming Level of Sleepiness and Low Levels of Action. Retrieved October 22, 2020, from

National Sleep Foundation. (2012, April 1). There's No Place Like Home for Sleep According to New National Bedroom Poll. Retrieved October 8, 2020, from

National Sleep Foundation. (2012, April 1). Bedroom Poll: Summary of Findings. Retrieved October 22, 2020, from

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sleep plays an integral role in health. A good night's sleep empowers the body to recover and lets you wake up refreshed and ready to take on the day. Unfortunately, many people have sleep problems and don't get the rest that they need.

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Counter:

This source shares the statistics of mainly adults and how much the recommended sleep time is. This source shares how sleep quality is improved when there are more rules enforced and there is a consistent schedule.

-The National Sleep Foundation recommends seven to nine hours of sleep per night for adults between 18 and 64 years old. Adults over 65 may need 7-8 hours

-More than one-third of adults in the National Sleep Foundation’s 2020 Sleep in America Poll aren’t getting the recommended sleep and feel sleepy during the day at least half the week or more.

-35% of all adults in the U.S. report sleeping for less than seven hours per night on average.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Sleep is an essential part of your body's mental and physical wellness. However, it's easy to forget how important sleep is until you have trouble getting it. People who have either an occasional poor night of sleeping or chronic sleep problems may benefit from learning the many reasons you may not sleep well, including medical problems, sleep disorders, your sleep environment, mental health conditions, and more.

Reviewing some interesting facts about sleep and sleep statistics may remind you why sleep is so important and how much you need, as well as the health effects of not sleeping well.
How Much Sleep Do You Need?
The National Sleep Foundation recommends seven to nine hours of sleep per night for adults between 18 and 64 years old. Adults over 65 may need 7-8 hours.

More than one-third of adults in the National Sleep Foundation's 2020 Sleep in America Poll aren't getting the recommended sleep and feel sleepy during the day at least half the week or more. Many say it affects their mood, mental sharpness, and productivity daily. In fact, people in the survey said feeling tired impacts their work performance, ability to exercise, and negatively affects their relationships with friends and family. Let's look at why.
What Keeps You Up at Night

Between 10% and 30% of adults struggle with insomnia.

2% - 9% of adults are affected by obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Women typically report poorer quality and more disrupted sleep across various life stages than men.

89% of adults and 75% of children have at least one electronic device in their bedrooms.

Common causes of chronic insomnia include:

35% of all adults in the U.S. report sleeping for less than seven hours per night on average.

About half of all Americans say they feel sleepy during the day anywhere from three to seven times a week.

There are many effective treatments for insomnia including lifestyle changes, behavioral therapy, and medication. What's more, snoring, which can keep you from getting quality sleep, may be linked to OSA, though not everyone who snores has it. There are treatments for OSA, too . Women may be more prone to disrupted sleep due to hormonal changes-such as the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, menopause-or to conditions that are more common in women, such as depression and fibromyalgia.

To improve sleep quality , try limiting alcohol and caffeine intake since both can stay in your system for a long time and can cause nightly bathroom trips, which disrupt sleep. Plus, blue light from phones and electronics can upset the natural sleep/wake cycle and block melatonin, which makes you feel sleepy. Turn off gadgets at bedtime, dim their brightness, and stop using them 2-3 hours before bed.
How You Think About Sleep

39% of adults plan for how much sleep they need when thinking about the next day.

65% of adults think getting enough sleep makes you more effective.

54% of parents believe sleep has an impact on their child's school performance.

Getting good quality sleep depends a variety of factors, one of which is the type of sleep you get . For example, slow-wave sleep is the deepest sleep which helps you feel restored and refreshed for the next day. You also cycle in and out of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep , the stage of sleep where you dream, throughout the night. REM is responsible for helping you stay mentally sharp and focused, so you can be most productive. To help get good quality sleep, keep a regular bedtime routine and stay off phones and computers right before bed to avoid their sleep-inhibiting blue light.
How to Get More Sleep

93% of people say a comfortable mattress is important for good sleep.

54% of parents and 60% of children take a bath or shower to help them sleep.

Children whose parents enforce bedtime rules sleep 1.1 hours longer than children whose parents don't enforce rules.

28% of adults in the U.S. use a smartphone app to help them track their sleep.

Create a sleep-friendly bedroom including a cool, dark, quiet room with a comfortable mattress to help you sleep well. And try out some sleep technology such as a sleep tracking app, lights that gradually fade at bedtime, and smart home technology that can shut off your Wifi at night. Lastly, healthy sleep tips like maintaining a regular bed and wake time and avoiding alcohol, caffeine, and naps can help you improve your sleep.

These sleep statistics and their significance to our overall health and well-being can help provide a basis of information for good sleep practices that work for a majority of the population.

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Sleep is an essential part of your body's mental and physical wellness. However, it's easy to forget how important sleep is until you have trouble getting it. People who have either an occasional poor night of sleeping or chronic sleep problems may benefit from learning the many reasons you may not sleep well, including medical problems, sleep disorders, your sleep environment, mental health conditions, and more.

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This source could have some improvement by explaining why the improvement in sleep quality is so important. The source focuses mainly on what the recommended sleep amount is, but it doesn't share the statistics of how much the sleep children normally receive. If there were statistics included in the article then it would help support the claim of how many hours children should receive per night.

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U.S. News and World reportJohns Hopkins All Children's Hospital Ranks #1 in Florida

Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital is the number one children's hospital in Florida according to the 2023-2024 U.S. News & World Report survey.

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The Johns Hopkins All Children's Foundation supports the vital work of the hospital, for our patients, their families, and the community. Join us.

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Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital is the number one children's hospital in Florida according to the 2023-2024 U.S. News & World Report survey. Expert Pediatric Care Close to Home Make a Difference The Johns Hopkins All Children's Foundation supports the vital work of the hospital, for our patients, their families, and the community.

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This source should have used more relevant statistics instead of older results. I feel like since times have changed, there are many new health and sleep conditions that are relevant for how sleep increases or decreases as you grow older. This source also included how different races have different sleeping averages which I feel doesn't support the claim about how much sleep children get compared to adults. As well this source does not include too much information about children's sleeping habits and focuses mainly on adults.

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Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Sleep duration is thought to have declined in many modern-day societies. In the United States, for example, limited data indicate that the prevalence of adults who sleep ≤ 6 h may have increased over time. However, a review of studies from the United States concluded that the available information painted an uncertain picture.

Because the impetus for public health interventions to address sleep health depends on a thorough knowledge of its epidemiology, additional information about trends in sleep duration in the United States population is desirable. Consequently, our objective was to examine the trend in self-reported sleep duration among US adults from 2004 to 2012. To provide a longer-term perspective, we also compared data from 2004- 2012 to that for 1985.

METHODS

This analysis is based on data from the National Health Interview Survey for the years 1985, 1990, and 2004-2012. Potential participants were selected using a multistage area probability design and were representative of the civilian noninstitutionalized US population. During the first stage, a sample of primary sampling units (PSUs) consisting of a county, a small group of contiguous counties, or a metropolitan statistical area was drawn from the universe of PSUs. During the second stage, a sample of area segments comprising eight, 12, or 16 addresses and permit segments composed of housing units built after a census is drawn from the selected PSUs. One adult was randomly selected from each family. Interviews were conducted in participants' homes. The response rates for adult sample persons were 90% in 1985 and 83.4% in 1990, and ranged from 60.8% in 2010 to 72.5% in 2004. Detailed information about the designs of the surveys and changes to the designs can be found elsewhere.

Sleep duration was assessed with the question "On average, how many hours of sleep do you get in a 24-h period?" Answers were given in whole hours. We included age, sex, and race or ethnicity (non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, other) as covariates.

Only adults aged ≥ 18 y were included in the analyses. We calculated age-adjusted estimates using the direct method with the year 2000 projected US population as the standard (18-24 y, 25-34 y, 35-44 y, 45-54 y, 55-64 y, 65-74 y, and ≥ 75 y). Tests for linear trends were calculated by using orthogonal linear contrast coefficients. Prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated by using log-linear regression that included all covariates. The statistical software programs SAS (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC) and SUDAAN (RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC) were used to conduct the analyses to account for the complex sampling design of the surveys.

RESULTS

Of the 33,630 and 41,104 participants in 1985 and 1990, respectively, 33,239 and 40,892 had a value for sleep duration. For the years 2004-2012, a total of 254,630 participants aged ≥ 18 y were asked about their sleep duration, and 250,111 had a useable value. Mean age increased significantly (P trend < 0.001), the percentage of non-Hispanic white participants declined significantly (P trend < 0.001), and the percentage of men remained stable.

The age-adjusted mean sleep duration was 7.40 h (95% CI: 7.38-7.41) in 1985 and was 7.18 h (95% CI: 7.16-7.20) in 2012 (Table S1, supplemental material). Compared with mean sleep duration in 1985, means in 2012 were significantly (P < 0.001) lower among all adults (−0.22 h), men (−0.19 h), women (−0.25 h), non-Hispanic Whites (−0.20 h), non-Hispanic Blacks (−0.44 h), Hispanics (−0.12 h), and in all age groups except ages ≥ 75 y). In addition, there were significant declines (P < 0.001) among non-Hispanic White men (−0.19 h) and women (−0.21 h), non-Hispanic Black men (−0.35 h) and women (−0.50 h), Hispanic women (−0.16 h), and non-Hispanic other men (−0.22 h) and women (−0.29 h). Assuming a US resident population of approximately 240 million in 2012, an average loss of 0.22 h or 13 min would translate into approximately 52.8 million h of sleep having been lost. Since 2004, however, the age-adjusted mean sleep duration changed little (P trend = 0.982).

The distribution of sleep duration between 1985 and 2012 differed significantly (P < 0.001) ( Figure 1A). Compared with 1985, the increase in the percentage of adults who reported sleeping ≤ 6 h in a 24-h period in 2012 was accompanied by decreases in the percentages of adults who reported sleeping 7-8 and ≥ 9 h in a 24-h period (P < 0.001) ( Figure 1 B).

The age-adjusted percentages of sleeping ≤ 6 h were 22.3% in 1985, 28.6% in 2004, and 29.2% in 2012 (Table S2, supplemental material). The unadjusted and age-adjusted prevalence ratios for 2012 compared with 1985 were 1.33 (95% CI: 1.28, 1.37) and 1.33 (95% CI: 1.28, 1.37), respectively ( Figure 1 C), and the prevalence ratio for 2012 compared to 1985 remained similar after adjustment for age, sex, and race or ethnicity (PR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.27, 1.37). The age-adjusted prevalence ratio for 2012 versus 2004 was 0.98 (95% CI: 0.95, 1.01). The associations between time in years and sleep duration ≤ 6 h varied significantly by sex (P interaction = 0.002) and by race or ethnicity (P interaction = 0.014). The associations of age, sex, and race or ethnicity with short sleep duration for data aggregated from 2004 to 2012 are shown in (supplemental material.

The unadjusted percentage of participants who reported sleeping on average ≤ 6 h in a 24-h period was significantly higher in 2012 (29.2%) than in 1985 (22.0%) (P < 0.001). Thus, approximately 38.6 million US adults, using the resident population, reported sleeping ≤ 6 h in a 24-h period in 1985, and 70.1 million US adults reported sleeping ≤ 6 h in a 24-h period in 2012.

In 2012, 62.3% of adults reported sleeping 7-8 h in a 24-h period after age adjustment compared with 65.9% in 1985 (P < 0.001) and with 62.8% in 2004 (P trend = 0.004). The significant decline between 1985 and 2012 was observed among men, women, most age groups, and non-Hispanic Whites (Table S3, supplemental material). An increase in sleeping 7-8 h was observed among adults aged ≥ 75 y (P = 0.004). Al -though the estimates from 2004 to 2012 showed slight variation in most demographic groups, the tests for trend for several demographic subgroups suggested an overall decline in the percentage during the period.

The age-adjusted percentages of adults who reported sleeping ≥ 9 h in a 24-h period were 11.9% in 1985, 8.6% in 2004, and 8.6% in 2012 (Table S4, supplemental material). The estimate for 2012 was significantly lower than that for 1985 in all participants (P < 0.001) and in most subgroups. No signifi-cant trend from 2004 to 2012 was observed ( Figure 1 D). The associations between time and sleep duration varied significantly by sex (P interaction = 0.647) and by race or ethnicity (P interaction < 0.001).

Trends in sleep duration by educational status are shown in Table S5, supplemental material.

DISCUSSION

Our analyses indicate that the mean reported sleep duration and the percentage sleeping ≤ 6 h in a 24-h period changed little during the period from 2004 to 2012. White men reported sleeping on average 3 min more in 2012 than in 2004, and non-Hispanic Black men reported sleeping on average 8 fewer min than in 2004. Compared to 1985, however, mean sleep duration and the percentage of adults who reported sleeping ≤ 6 h in a 24-h period declined significantly.

Limited information about trends in sleep duration in the US population has been published. Previous studies have provided mixed findings about the trend in sleep duration in the United States. Infographics using data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) showed that the percentage of adults sleeping ≤ 6 h was higher in 2004 or 2006 than in 1985. Our results showing an increase in the percentage of adults who reported sleeping ≤ 6 h in a 24-h period in each year from 2004 to 2012 compared to 1985 are consistent with those findings and build on those findings by expanding the time horizon. From 2004 to 2012, however, sleep duration generally changed little. Because participants in the NHIS were asked to report the time spent sleeping during a 24-h period, it is conceivable that participants may have included the time spent napping in their responses. A subsequent study from 1975 to 2006 examined data from eight national datasets that contained information from time diaries. Based on all available data, no significant linear trend was observed, but some periods had a higher percentage of adults who slept ≤ 6 h than adults in 1975. When the data were stratified by employment status, the percentage of full-time workers who slept ≤ 6 h was higher during 1998-1999 and later years. Thus, this study did not yield convincing evidence that the percentage of short sleepers had changed between 1975 and 2006. In Alameda County, the percentage of participants who slept < 7 h per night increased from 15% in 1965 to 25% in 1999 among white participants, from 26% to 54% among African American participants, and from 12% to 37% among Hispanic participants. More recently, an analysis of time-use surveys showed a decrease in the percentage of short sleep duration from 1985 (11.7%) to 2007 (9.2%).

In light of the many adverse associations between insufficient sleep and health outcomes, the loss of sleep in many modern-day societies has caused considerable consternation. These decreases have been attributed to a host of reasons including competing interests for time with the advent of the electronic age and the many electronic toys and technology, increasing demands from work, increasingly harried lifestyles, and possible increases in perceived stress. It is unclear whether the recession of 2007 to 2009 and its lingering effects may have affected sleep duration. The age-adjusted mean sleep duration varied little from 2004 to 2012 as did the age-adjusted percentage of adults reporting sleeping < 7 h. Noteworthy is that the age-adjusted percentage reporting sleeping ≥ 9 h increased from 2007 to 2010 (P 2010 versus 2007 < 0.001) and then declined through 2012. Although the mean change in self-reported sleep duration comprised about 0.22 h or 13 min since 1985, the change in the prevalence of adults sleeping ≤ 6 h was more pronounced. Whether such changes are sufficient to adversely affect population health is unknown.

Our results show that the prevalence of long sleep duration decreased from 1985 to 2004 and subsequently changed little through 2012. Long sleep duration has been associated with poor health outcomes. If long sleep duration is causally related to adverse health outcomes, our results could suggest that the risk associated with long sleep duration may have decreased from 1985 to 2004. However, an analysis of time-use surveys showed that long sleep duration (> 9 h) in the United States had increased from 26.3% in 1985 to 37.5% in 2007.

Large sample sizes and the representative nature of the data are important strengths of this study. The self-reported information about sleep duration is the chief limitation of this study. Although the question used in the NHIS has not been validated with tests such as polysomnography or actigraphy, similar questions have been routinely used in observational studies. Some efforts to examine the validity and reliability of simple self-reported questions about sleep duration have been made. Furthermore, sleep duration in the NHIS was not assessed from 1986 to 1989 and from 1991 to 2003, and thus pinpointing the exact survey year or time period when sleep duration may have changed was not feasible. Although the questions about sleep duration remained the same in the surveys included in our study, the redesigns of the NHIS including revisions to the questionnaire in 1997 may have affected the estimates.

In conclusion, self-reported sleep duration decreased from 1985 into the 2000s but changed little from 2004 to 2012. Additional data about sleep duration in the United States using other assessment methods would be helpful in gauging past and future changes in sleep duration. The National Institutes of Health suggest that healthy adults should sleep 7-8 h, and Healthy People 2020 includes an objective for ≥ 8 h of sleep for adults aged 18-21 y and ≥ 7 h for adults aged 22 y and older. Thus, reducing the percentage of adults who are not sleeping sufficiently remains an important public health objective.

REFERENCES

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Trends in Self-Reported Sleep Duration among US Adults from 1985 to 2012

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Sleep duration is thought to have declined in many modern-day societies. In the United States, for example, limited data indicate that the prevalence of adults who sleep ≤ 6 h may have increased over time. However, a review of studies from the United States concluded that the available information painted an uncertain picture.

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Statistics Project: How many hours of sleep do you get daily on average?