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 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)
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)
Corporate Sleep
Program Vendors
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)
