Sleep in America: National Survey Results

The typical American adult sleeps seven hours or under on weeknights, at least an hour less than the eight hours sleep specialists say most people need to feel optimally rested and alert, according to the National Sleep Foundation’s 2001 survey, released in March.

More than one-fifth of the population reports that sleepiness interferes with activities several days a week, and most say they are resigned to this situation. Most adults try to catch up on weekends or days off, sleeping about an hour longer than usual then.

Four in 10 Americans report they work longer hours now than they did five years ago. Employed adults work 46 hours a week on average, although more than one-third report working 50 hours or more a week. More than half of American adults also say they spend less time having sex now than they did five years ago.

About half the population reports difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, waking up earlier than desired, and waking feeling unrefreshed. Eight of 10 adults who reported suffering from depression said they slept poorly. Those working the longest hours are the most likely to report insomnia. Indeed, 20-somethings complained of insomnia more frequently than people aged 65 and over.

“Internet insomnia” may be a myth, however: under one-quarter of the population report using the Internet within an hour of bedtime. About 1 in 4 adults reports that “thinking about something” makes it hard to sleep a few nights a week.

About 38 percent of adults report being told that they snore, a symptom of sleep-disordered breathing, and 13 percent report symptoms of restless legs syndrome. Under 3 percent received treatment from a health professional for these problems.

More than half of the nation’s adults report they drove while drowsy in the past year. Nearly 1 in 5 admits to having dozed at the wheel, although only 1 in 100 reports having been involved in a crash.

More findings from this survey, based on a nationwide random sample of 1,004 persons aged 18 and over, may be found at the NSF Web site at www.sleepfoundation.org.