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.

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)

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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