Wellness and Mental Health

70+ Sleep Statistics & Effects in 2024

Dive into the latest sleep statistics and uncover the impact of quality sleep on wellness, mental health, and daily functioning.
In This Post:

There is a wealth of evidence that shows the vital importance of a good night’s sleep in day-to-day functioning.
Here are the stats that prove it:

Sleeping Facts & Trends

  • The average American goes to bed at 11:21 pm (FitBit, 2018)
  • Sleeping on the back is the best body position, but only 6% of people sleep on their back (Sleep)
  • The most popular sleeping position is the fetal position (41%) (Sleep)
  • 48% of respondents reported snoring (CDC, 2011)
  • More than 50% of U.S. adults take naps during the week (Sleepfoundation)

The Science of Sleep & Dreams

  • We usually dream four to six times per night (Sleep)
  • While sleeping, the body temperature drops 1 to 2 degrees (Webmd, 2019)
  • About 80% of an adult’s sleeping time is non-REM sleep stages; the remaining 20% is REM sleep (Webmd, 2019)
  • 65% of our dreams are associated with sadness, apprehension, or anger, and 20% are with happiness or excitement (NCBI)
sleep statistics

Sleep Deprivation Data

  • 35% of U.S. adults are not getting the recommended 7 hours of sleep (CDC, 2016)
  • 40% of Americans are sleep deprived (Postandcourier, 2018)
  • 1 in 3 adults don’t get enough sleep (CDC, 2016)
  • A person who sleeps on average less than six hours a night has a 13% higher mortality risk than those who sleep seven to nine hours (Fortune, 2016)
  • 37.9% of respondents reported unintentionally falling asleep during the day at least once in the last 30 days (Medscape, 2011)

Average Sleeping Times

  • Americans sleep an average of 6.7 hours a night (APA, 2013)
  • On average, a person falls asleep within 7 minutes (Sleepadvisor, 2020)
  • The average amount reported for teenagers is 6.5 hours every weekday night (ScientificAmerican, 2015)
  • 42% say their sleep quality is low (APA, 2013)
  • Only 3% of teenagers reported getting the recommended nine hours of sleep, 20% reported they got five hours or less (ScientificAmerican, 2015)
sleep statistics

Who Sleeps Better?

  • Married people had the longest sleep duration (67%), compared to those who never married (62%) and those who were divorced, widowed, or separated (56%) (CDC, 2016)
  • People with college degrees or higher have a better sleep (72%) than those who are unemployed (51%) (CDC, 2016)
  • Hawaii had the lowest sleep duration (56%), while South Dakota had the longest (72%) (CDC, 2016)
  • New Zealand has the highest sleep average at 7 hours and 30 minutes, while Japan has the lowest at almost 6 hours (Sciencemag, 2016)

Accidents due to Poor Sleep

  • Sleep deprivation causes over 100.000 medical errors, which can lead to an increase in death cases (NCBI, 2010)
  • 20% of all serious car crash injuries are associated with driver sleepiness (NCBI, 2006)
  • 4.7% reported nodding off while driving at least once in the last 30 days (Medscape, 2011)
  • People who suffer from sleep disorders have more accidents, higher rates of work absenteeism, decreased quality of life, and diminished job performance (NCBI, 2007)

Excessive Sleeping

  • Narcolepsy affects nearly 1 in every 2000 people in the U.S. (Narcolepsy Network, 2013)
  • Approximately only 25% of narcolepsy cases have been diagnosed (Narcolepsy Network, 2013)
  • Half of the narcolepsy patients are incorrectly diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea or depression (NCBI, 2016)
  • 4-6% of the population has hypersomnia or oversleeping (Therecoveryvillage, 2020)

Sleeping Disorders

  • There are more than 70 types of sleep disorders; the most common ones are insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, and narcolepsy (Harvard, 2019)
  • 50 to 70 million adults in the U.S. suffer from sleep disorders (HRSA, 2011)
  • One in six adults with a diagnosed sleep disorder, and one in eight adults who were undiagnosed reported using sleep aids (CDC, 2013)
  • Chronic insomnia affects about 30% of the general population (NCBI, 2007)

Men vs. Women

  • Women are less likely to get good sleep; 26% reported having trouble sleeping within a week, compared to only 16% of men (Bettersleep)
  • Women who sleep less than 5 hours have a 15% higher risk of becoming obese compared to women who sleep 7 hours (Harvard)
  • Each child increases a woman’s risk of getting insufficient sleep by 46% (Breakingnewsenglish, 2017)

Economic Costs

  • The total economic cost of sleepiness is around $43-56 billion (ResMed, 2013)
  • On average, the U.S. loses $411 billion a year, which is the equivalent of 1.23 million working days due to insufficient sleep (RAND, 2016)
  • The U.S. has the highest economic losses due to insufficient sleep, followed by Japan, the UK, Germany, and Canada (RAND, 2016)

Sleep Medication

  • Sleeping pills help people fall asleep about 8 to 20 minutes faster, and overall, they add around 35 more minutes of extra sleep every night (AASM, 2015)
  • China is the most sleep medicated country, with every one in five people taking prescription sleep medication (lboro, 2016)
  • South Korea is the least sleep medicated country, with fewer than one in 30 consuming sleeping tablets (lboro, 2016)
  • People who use sleep medication were associated with increased mortality risk (NCBI, 2015)

Sleeping Aid

  • About 4% of the U.S. population reported using sleep aid in the past month (CDC, 2013)
  • In 2017 the U.S. sleep aid market was worth approximately $28.6 billion (Marketresearch, 2018)
  • One sleep aid we all are familiar with- the mattress industry is worth $16 billion, and the market for sleeping pillows is worth $1.6 billion (Marketresearch, 2018)
  • CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) devices is a $4.3 billion market and growing 7.2% every year (Marketresearch, 2018)

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

  • 25 million U.S. adults have obstructive sleep apnea (Springfieldsmiledoctor)
  • 75% of severe sleep-disordered breathing cases remain undiagnosed (ResMed, 2013)
  • Sleep apnea is linked to hypertension, stroke risk, diabetes and many other medical conditions (ResMed, 2013)
  • Undiagnosed sleep apnea may cause $3.4 billion in additional medical costs in the U.S (ResMed, 2013)
  • 24-31% of men and 9-21% of women have obstructive sleep apnea, which means men are higher risk (Springfieldsmiledoctor)

Benefits of Good Sleep

  • Americans who reported having excellent health and quality of life also said they slept 18 to 23 minutes more on average in the past week (Sleepfoundation, 2015)
  • The majority of respondents (65%) realize the benefits of sleep and its contribution to next day effectiveness (Sleepfoundation, 2018)
  • Only 10% of respondents said sleep was their top priority, over physical fitness, work, and hobbies (Sleepfoundation, 2018)
  • People with regular and consistent sleep schedules are 1.5 times more likely to report feeling well-rested (Sleepfoundation, 2019)
  • An extra 60 to 90 minutes of sleep per night makes you happier and healthier (APA, 2013)
  • 3-5% of obesity in adults is caused by lack of sleep, due to constantly feeling tired and lacking energy to workout (Harvard)

Mental Health & Sleep Correlation

  • 50% of anxiety patients reported having sleep problems (Harvard, 2019)
  • People who sleep less than 7 hours every day are more likely to be overweight (33%), physically inactive (27%), smokers (23%), and excessive alcohol drinkers (19%) (CDC, 2017)
  • Approximately 40% of adults who have insomnia also suffer from depression or other psychiatric disorders (NCBI, 2007)
  • Among teenagers, every hour of lost sleep was associated with a 38% increase in the odds of feeling sad and hopeless, a 42% increase in considering suicide, and a 23% increase in substance abuse (ScientificAmerican, 2015)
Written by Shortlister editorial team

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