Noise and light are common disruptors to the sleep of Americans. According to a survey from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, more than one-third of Americans always or often experience disrupted sleep due to outside noise (36%), indoor lights (35%) and outdoor lights (33%).
The survey also probed what products are used during sleep and found that nearly half of people use a fan (47%), 29% use black-out curtains and 24% use an alarm clock with wake-up lights. Other popular accessories include: weighted blankets (20%), sleep masks (20%), noise machines or apps (18%) and the old classic, ear plugs (16%).
“What defines a comfortable night’s sleep varies from person to person, but developing a consistent sleep routine that removes distraction is a big first step in building a habit of good sleep health,” said Dr. James A. Rowley, president of the AASM. “An effective metric for a successful nightly routine is that it leads to seven or more hours of sleep a night.”
How do people unwind for bed? The survey asked what is regularly included in the bedtime routine and found that 39% of Americans take a bath or shower, while only 34% go to bed at the same time each night. Other bedtime routine activities include:
- 30% turn off electronics before bed
- 29% read
- 25% have sex
- 22% drink tea or other nonalcoholic beverage
- 21% meditate or do breathing exercises
- 20% stretch
- 20% smoke a cigarette or vape
- 19% smoke marijuana
- 15% drink an alcoholic beverage
“Going to bed at the same time each night is one of the keys to a successful and healthy sleep routine, yet only about one-third of people are doing it,” said Rowley. “The new year provides the perfect time to reset habits to make sure that healthy sleep is a priority.”
Download these 2023 AASM Sleep Prioritization Survey results in the AASM newsroom. To learn more about the importance of healthy sleep, visit SleepEducation.org.
About the Survey
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine commissioned an online survey of 2,005 adults in the U.S. The overall margin of error fell within +/- 2 percentage points with a confidence interval of 95 percent. Fieldwork took place between March 24-29, 2023. Atomik Research is an independent market research agency.
About the American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Established in 1975, the AASM advances sleep care and enhances sleep health to improve lives. The AASM has a combined membership of 12,000 accredited sleep centers and individuals, including. physicians, scientists and other health care professionals who care for patients with sleep disorders. As the leader in the sleep field, the AASM sets standards and promotes excellence in sleep medicine health care, education, and research.
