Casper Sleep and Gallup have released The State of Sleep in America 2022 Report to uncover current sleep behaviors across America and how key factors affect various aspects of the respondents’ lives. Most notably, the study reveals that only one-third of Americans report getting high-quality sleep. “Achieving quality sleep should not be considered a luxury,” says Emilie Arel, president and CEO of Casper. “As this study demonstrates, sleep is essential to our emotional and physical wellbeing and serves as the backbone of several other habits that keep us in good health.”
Key findings from the report include:
- Only 32 percent of adults report an “excellent” or “very good” night’s sleep, while another third of Americans (33 percent)—approximately 84 million people—describe their sleep as “fair” or “poor.”
- In particular, nearly two in five adults under the age of 40 say their sleep last night was “fair” or “poor,” but for adults 65 and older this number drops to about one in four.
- Women are more likely than men to say sleep is a major priority (61 percent vs. 48 percent, respectively) and report being more worried about sleep. Men are more likely than women to report they had no trouble sleeping the night before by 10 percentage points (51 percent vs. 41 percent, respectively).
- The most consistent factor across all metrics affecting quality of sleep is one’s mental and emotional state.
- 81 percent of Americans report that their mental activity—thinking, mind racing, or experiencing feelings—has prevented them from having a good night’s sleep.
- Stress increases the chances of a bad night’s sleep by 96 percent, and worry increases the chances by 69 percent.
- Those who worry “a lot” about falling asleep are more than 3-times more likely to not sleep well than those who don’t worry at all.
- Adults ages 18 to 29 struggle more with sleep and with stress. Their difficulties sleeping affect their daily lives—nearly seven in 10 say sleep has a major impact on their mood.
- Among those who report “excellent” or “very good” sleep over the prior month, 84 percent rate their current life satisfaction highly, compared to 44 percent of those who generally get “poor” or “fair” sleep.
- Excellent or very good sleepers are also more likely to be actively and positively engaged in their community, reporting higher levels of donating to charity and volunteering than poor sleepers (77 percent to 67 percent and 42 percent to 33 percent).
- Among other attributes such as eating healthy, exercising, and sticking to a nightly routine every day, mattress quality is strongly related to sleep quality.
- Adults who are extremely satisfied with their mattress generally are more than four times as likely to report high-quality sleep the previous night compared to those who are dissatisfied with their mattress (48 percent vs. 11 percent, respectively).
“Stress and poor sleep are closely connected and can create a vicious cycle if not addressed,” says Michael Grandner, M.D., an internationally recognized sleep doctor who serves on Casper’s Sleep Advisory Board. “While we can’t eliminate stress from our lives entirely, we can implement healthier practices in our daily routines and control the environment we sleep in.”
Sleep quality may also have a tangible impact on the U.S. economy. Those who report poor-quality sleep are more than twice as likely to skip or miss work due to poor health.
“While a majority of Americans say they prioritize sleep in their lives, many struggle getting quality rest,” says Dan Witters, principal and research director at Gallup. “Poor sleep is not only a detriment to personal health but can also cost the U.S. economy billions.” The study finds that workers who typically get a poor night’s sleep—estimated to be 6.2 percent of the U.S. workforce—report 2.29 days of unplanned absenteeism each month, compared to 0.91 days for all other workers. “This absence from the workforce can lead to huge losses for employers,” says Witters.
The resulting lost productivity is estimated to cost the U.S. economy $44.6 billion annually in unplanned absenteeism from work after controlling for all major demographics, general health, clinical depression/anxiety, daily stress, and COVID-19.
