10 Remarkable Statistics About Sleeping 

10 Remarkable Statistics About Sleeping 

Throughout many of our blog posts, we’ve mentioned several stats about sleep to support our various points. Many of them highlight the amounts of sleep required or the percentages of individuals who engage in certain behaviors experiencing worse or better sleep because of said behavior, such as scrolling through their phones. Though most of our blog posts are meant for sleeping tips, we’re going to take a moment to share some interesting sleeping statistics to show how diverse demographics interact with sleep differently. Some of these statistics may uncover issues you may not have thought about, so keep reading to discover some insights that might spur a round of research. Here are some stats that really jump out at us:

1. Americans living in the southern and eastern parts of the country are significantly more sleep-deprived.

According to data from the CDC, people living in the southern and eastern parts of the United States, especially Georgia and Alabama, were 10-20% more likely to report sleeping less than 6 hours a night. Could there be cultural differences for this? To break from this pattern, Hawaii reported the highest rates of sleeping fewer than 7 hours a night.

2. 45% of Americans report that poor sleep has impacted their lives somehow -- in the last 7 days.

We’ve stated many times before on our blog how poor sleep can result in depression, anxiety, excessive eating, and an inability to focus. Here’s a stat to show you how often this actually affects people.

3. Black and Indigenous Americans are more likely to report sleeping too little.

According to the CDC, Black and Indigenous Americans are approximately 10% more likely than White, Hispanic, and Asian Americans to report sleeping fewer than 7 hours.

4. 66% of people talk in their sleep.

If you’ve ever encountered the flush of shame and pang of anxiety of hearing “uh, you were talking in your sleep last night”, you’re far from alone.

5. Women experiencing PMS are more than twice as likely to report insomnia.

This is probably connected to the heightened anxiety, depression, and stress women also feel during this time, so if you’re feeling the PMS coming on, check out some tips on destressing. Women experiencing PMS also reported lower sleep quality and more nighttime awakenings.

6. Around 75% of adults with depression also report insomnia.

Given all the alarming and sometimes deadly consequences of sleep deprivation, it’s important to acknowledge the causes of depression and seek treatment.

7. 75 minutes of high-intensity exercise a week is associated with less daytime sleepiness.

Need to be more alert during the day? Maybe don’t skip the elliptical or Zumba session this time.

8. Around 29% of adults use a smartphone app to help them sleep.

We’ve stated on our blogs how the light from your computer, phone, and electronics in general just isn’t exactly conducive to sleeping, so it’s probably best to not whip your phone out for an end-of-the-day Instagram scroll session right before bed. You can safely use your phone, however, for the many apps that’ll help you sleep. Most of them won’t take more than a few minutes of face-to-face time with the screen, so don’t worry about that melatonin-suppressing blue light shining right into your eyes.

9. 8 out of 10 adults want to improve their sleep.

That’s the majority! That means that if you check out our blogs on how to sleep better, you’ll be ahead of the majority of humans, giving you something to be proud of.

10. A survey found that 20% of people use supplements to sleep.

A quick booster that doesn’t require too much effort on your end beyond a trip to the grocery store or a few clicks on Amazon is ordering some melatonin supplements. If you think it’s your anxiety that’s keeping you awake, try some magnesium or CBD.
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