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NEW YORK — The average American gets a “perfect” night’s sleep only 132 times per year, according to a new survey. While perfection may not always be attainable, the poll of 2,000 U.S. adults also revealed that Americans average 120 “good” sleeps per year. Unfortunately, that means the remaining 113 nights are lost to “bad” sleep or ones that resulted in staying awake all night.
This may be because the average American goes to sleep feeling stressed or anxious three days each week. In fact, this stress is so all-consuming that it keeps respondents awake for an additional three hours after their intended bedtime. Staying awake three hours after their bedtime is also the average person's cut-off point for when they know their next day will get off to a bad start. To that same tune, almost two-thirds (65%) agree that a bad night’s sleep is enough to ruin the following day.
Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Cornbread Hemp, the poll revealed that anxiety forces respondents to look at their phone (59%), eat snacks (49%), and stare at the ceiling (39%) instead of sleeping. So, what exactly are they stressing so much about? Almost three in five (58%) are plagued by concerns about their physical health, followed by the tasks they have to do the next day (56%) and mental health concerns (51%).
Regardless of specific stressors, 48 percent are equally likely to stress about situations that are already happening as much as they are to stress about hypothetical ones. Respondents have tried reading (44%), warm milk (42%), CBD (37%) and melatonin (29%) to try and help themselves fall asleep and only 28 percent found the method they used most often to be “very effective”.
“Americans are waking up stressed three times a week on average, which is why it is so important to find natural, healthy ways to cope and feel better,” says Eric Zipperle, CEO of Cornbread Hemp, in a statement.
Results also revealed that the average American experiences four panic attacks each year. Stress has also forced them to miss work (43%), meals with family and friends (41%), weddings (40%), and birthday parties (39%).
Others missed holiday gatherings (31%), concerts (20%), and even their child’s events like a recital or game (11%). In 2023 alone, Americans missed an average of nine different events due to stress and anxiety.
In order to deal with their stress, respondents mediate (50%), meet with a therapist or counselor (43%), or take CBD (40%). Some engage in retail therapy and shop online (32%) or in stores (22%), while others are productive and exercise (31%) or even clean (17%).
If given the opportunity to get a “perfect” night’s sleep, free of stress every single day for a year, respondents would be willing to give up their Wi-Fi (48%), their bed (43%), and indoor plumbing (41%).
Survey methodology:
This random double-opt-in survey of 2,000 general population Americans was commissioned by Cornbread Hemp between Dec. 7 and Dec. 8, 2023. It was conducted by market research company OnePoll, whose team members are members of the Market Research Society and have corporate membership to the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR).
I sleep like a baby. . . I wake up hungry, crying & soil myself every 2 hours.
This study left out how pets affect sleep. My very needy dog wakes me up every night at around 1-2 am to go out, just because she can. She stays in her own bed all night if I'm not home. Our cat wrestles with the sheets and sleeps on our feet at night. I feel like I have newborn babies in the house again. Yep, I get very few nights of “good” sleep.
Who proofread this article? When did a year only have 245 days? I must be getting really old!