Research
How Much Sleep Working Adults Actually Get
More than a third of American adults regularly fall short of the seven hours of sleep generally recommended for health. Shift workers, parents of young children, and residents of dense metro areas report the shortest average nights. Short sleep duration clusters in the Southeast and Appalachia, regions that also report higher rates of several chronic conditions, underscoring how rest interacts with broader public-health gradients.
by HealthVetted ResearchPublished: May 29, 2026Source: CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; National Health Interview Survey
36%
Adults sleeping under 7 hours
More than a third of American adults regularly fall short of the seven hours of sleep generally recommended for health. Shift workers, parents of young children, and residents of dense metro areas report the shortest average nights. Short sleep duration clusters in the Southeast and Appalachia, regions that also report higher rates of several chronic conditions, underscoring how rest interacts with broader public-health gradients.