52% of Americans say they sleep 7+ hours a night, but many want even more time in bed

Sleeping habits hold a fundamental role in shaping the well-being of individuals. How many hours of sleep one gets, and sleep quality are defining factors in a person's health. In this piece, we look at Americans’ ideal amount of sleep and how many hours they actually get a night. We’ll also look at the

According to a recent YouGov Surveys: Serviced poll, 69% of Americans would ideally like to get eight or more hours of sleep a night. A significantly smaller share say they would like to get seven hours (16%) and just 10% want to sleep less than that.

But how much sleep are Americans getting?

Data from the survey reveals that 52% of Americans get 7 or more hours of sleep a night. Two in five say they 6 or less hours of shut eye in a typical night.

Evidently, there is a clear gap between the amount of sleep Americans hope to get and what actually happens. What steps are they taking to get better sleep?

Going to bed at the same time (37%), consuming sleep supplements and medication like melatonin (34%) and upgrading one’s bedding for better sleep (33%) are the most popular activities undertaken by Americans to improve their sleep quality. 

A closer look at the gender demographics shows us that women are significantly likelier than men to consume sleep supplements (39% vs. 28%), avoid digital screens before going to bed (20% vs. 16%) and use aromatherapy (18% vs. 6%).

On the other hand, American men and women are almost equally likely to improve their sleep quality by upgrading their bedding (32% and 35%), installing blackout curtains (21% and 25%) and consuming food or beverages with sleep-aid properties (14% and 15%).

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Methodology: YouGov Surveys: Serviced provide quick survey results from nationally representative or targeted audiences in multiple markets. The data is based on surveys of 1,505 adults aged 18+ years in the US. All surveys were conducted online in December 2023. Data from the market uses a nationally representative sample. Learn more about YouGov Surveys: Serviced.