NSF Poll: 5 Years Of Sleep In America What Have We Learned?

The National Sleep Foundation (NSF), a non-profit organization, promotes better sleep through education.

The NSF has conducted a Sleep in America survey since 1991 to assess the state of American sleep.

An archive of all polls can be found here.

Today’s post will focus on five polls that show how Americans sleep in recent years.

2013: International Bedroom Poll

This poll examined cultural differences in sleep in six countries, including the United States, Canada, France and Japan.

Here’s a brief summary of their findings. NSF’s complete summary can be found here (pdf).

• Americans don’t sleep enough. With 6h 31m, the US had the second-lowest average sleep time. With an average sleep time of 6h 31m, the Japanese were the most sleepy people. Mexico was the leader with 7h 6m.
• In each country, roughly half the respondents said that they get less sleep than they need. Germany had 66% of the most respondents. It was 56% in the USA and 40% in Mexico. It seems that Mexicans understand the importance of getting a good night’s sleep.
• Americans are more likely than Japanese to sleep with their pets, while Japanese prefer to sleep with their children or alone even if they have a partner.
• In the US, bedroom hygiene is a common practice. 62% of Americans surveyed said that they change their sheets each week, 66% said that they make their beds every day, 61% said that they air their bedrooms every week, and 62% said they wash their sheets at least once a week. Mexico’s neighbors are much more attentive to bedroom hygiene.

These percentages are 81%-82% and 95% respectively. This may explain their longer sleeping hours.

2014: Sleep In The Modern Family

Fig. Number of devices in parents’ and children’s bedrooms

2014 sleep in America poll focused on modern family sleep habits, especially considering the rise of electronic gadgets.

Here’s what they found. You can read the summary of their report here (PDF).

• The average sleep duration for teens and kids decreased with age. Only 8% of children aged 6-11 years slept less than 7 hours. Only 29% of 12-14-year olds slept less than the recommended 8-9 hour sleep time. 56% of 15-17-yearolds slept less than the recommended 7-hour sleep time.
• 75% of children have at least one electronic device in their bedroom. Televisions, smartphones and music players were the most popular devices. The majority of parents had a gadget in their bedrooms as well, which could explain why the trend among children mirrors what their parents are doing (a valuable lesson for us parents).
• Children slept for significantly shorter periods if they had a gadget in their bedroom. This included the TV, phone, or music player.
• Parents reported that difficulty falling asleep was caused by evening chores, pets, noise, light, temperature, and other factors.
• Poor sleep is caused by temperature, homework, and evening activities for children.
• Children whose parents set rules regarding bedtime, caffeine, TV viewing time, and phone use were more likely to sleep an average of one hour longer than those whose parents did not.

2015: Pain And Sleep

Credit: National Sleep Foundation

This is the problem that many people face when trying to improve their quality of sleep.

Here’s what NSF discovered about the relationship between pain and sleep quality. The complete summary can be found here (PowerPoint).

• People with better health and a higher quality of life are more likely to be able to sleep longer and have a better sleep quality.
• Higher levels of stress were associated with shorter sleep duration, lower quality sleep, and difficulty falling asleep.
• Acute and chronic pain sufferers had higher levels of stress and, therefore, less sleep quality and sleep duration.
• People suffering from pain are more sensitive to noise, light and temperature changes that can disrupt their sleep. The most difficult thing for chronic pain patients to fall asleep was the mattress.

: Personal Effectiveness And Sleep Prioritization

The next Sleep In America poll took place after 2015. This poll examined how Americans prioritized good sleep and what they did or did not do to achieve it.

These are the main findings. The complete summary can be found here (pdf).

• 65% of Americans know that sleep is essential for productivity, but only 10% place it as a priority. People place fitness and nutrition first, followed by work and hobbies.
• Your sleep quality can predict how productive you will be. 89% of the most productive sleepers rated themselves highly or very productive. 46 percent of poor sleepers rated themselves as very or extremely productive, compared to more than half (49%).
• People are terrible at planning for sleep. 60% of respondents did not consider how much sleep they would need for the day ahead.

: Sleep Health & Scheduling

The link between sleep quality, sleep schedule and sleep quality was examined in this years study. It was found that a more consistent sleep schedule leads to better sleep.

These are the top points of the poll. The complete summary can be found here (pdf).

• People who have a regular sleeping schedule report feeling more rested.

The Key Takeaways

These polls offer five key insights.

1. The quality and habits of Americans regarding sleep are not bad, but they could be. Sleep environment, sleep scheduling, and sleep prioritization are the areas that require improvement.
2. Your sleep environment is important. The mattress you sleep on is a key factor. To avoid discomfort that could disrupt your sleep, choose the best mattress. Keep your bedroom and bed cool, and minimize light and noise.
3. It is easy to forget to change your sheets often, let your bedroom air circulate and add a relaxing fragrance to your bed. This can greatly improve your sleep quality. Ask the Mexicans.
4. For good sleep quality, it is important to manage stress and pain.
5. It is important to prioritize sleep and plan for the same amount of time as other areas like work.

Takeaway bonusMaintain a regular sleeping schedule.

It is one of the most productive productivity hacks.

Check out My Favorite Products for 2021!

Choose a list >MattressesToppers and PadsCooling/HeatingPillowsSheets

To see my top picks in that category, touch a tab above.

These are my current favorite of the 60+ beds that I have reviewed:

The best way to cool down your bed is with mattress toppers and pads.

The BedJet is my favorite bed cooling/heating system.

These pillows are great for relieving shoulder and neck pain.

These luxury sheets sets are my favourite online:

Parachutes Sateen sheets are the best for specific needs. Brooklinens Linen sheets Organic Luxury sheets: Saatva Lofton Organic Sheets. Breathable/Cool Percale sheets made from Parachute and Brooklinen.