What's America's Bedtime Routine?

It's no secret sleep is an important factor for living a healthy lifestyle, but not everyone is getting enough shut-eye. Many things can impact a person's sleep such as their mattress, bedding and nighttime habits.

Here at DealNews, we wanted to learn more about Americans' bedtime and sleep routines. We surveyed more than 1,000 people across the country and found many aren't getting enough sleep, with the majority wishing they slept more. But why aren't people sleeping well? There are several reasons, including their bedtime routine, stress, and uncomfortable beds.

Bedtime Routines and Time Spent in Bed

A good bedtime routine can be essential to sleeping well and for some, the bedtime routine starts in the bathroom. One in 10 Americans never brush their teeth before getting shut-eye! Another 10% say they brush 2-4 nights a week, 14% brush 5-6 nights a week, and 63% brush their teeth every night. If some of those numbers were surprising, even less Americans are washing their face before hitting the hay. Twenty-nine percent never wash their face before bed, 38% wash it 1-6 nights per week, and 33% wash their face 7 nights a week.

After getting into bed, the majority of people are spending time on their phones or watching TV. In fact, 59% surf the internet in bed, 57% watch TV, 52% spend time on social media, 35% check emails, and 29% text or call people. The most popular apps people are using before going to sleep? YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, and TikTok.

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The average American spends 44 minutes in bed doing other things besides trying to sleep. One in 5 report spending 1 hour before trying to close their eyes, 17% spend around 30 minutes, and 1 in 10 spend less than 5 minutes.

Sleep Schedules of Americans

More than half (60%) of people believe their bedtime routine impacts how much sleep they will get. One in 10 say they get 5 hours of sleep or less on weeknights. That's followed by 24% who get 6 hours, 36% who get 7 hours, 23% get 8 hours, and 6% report sleeping for more than 9 hours. It's no surprise most people report getting slightly more sleep on weekends with 32% getting 8 hours and 18% sleeping 9+ hours.

It's no surprise 58% wish they got at least 8 hours of sleep per night.

When it comes time to wake up, 45% of Americans set one alarm, 13% set two, and 29% don't use an alarm at all. Additionally, 1 in 5 say they snooze their alarm every day, and 15% report snoozing it multiple times a week.

Snoozing the alarm isn't helping the majority of people as 1 in 3 wake up tired 2-3 days per week, 30% 4-6 days a week, and 16% wake up tired everyday.

Sleep Struggles

Sleep struggles are familiar to many, as half of Americans admit they don't get enough sleep. The top reasons for sleep issues are stress, insomnia, and work.

Thirty-seven percent of people wake up overnight every single night, nearly 1 in 3 wake up multiple times a week, and 13% report waking up once a week throughout the night. The reasons why people are waking up in the middle of the night? The majority of respondents (68%) say they need to use the bathroom, 44% are uncomfortable, 25% have bad dreams, and another 25% say their pet wakes them up.

Among those who share a bed with a partner, 1 in 3 said they'd sleep better if they had the bed to themselves. The 37% who are pet parents say they'd sleep better if their furry friend wasn't in bed with them.

Americans' poor sleep isn't for lack of trying. We found that 57% are trying to keep a consistent sleep schedule, 52% make sure the room is a comfortable temperature, 50% avoid caffeine before bed, 37% minimize screen time, and 35% dim the lights in their room.

Nap Necessity and Bed Care

Naps are another way to help feel rested throughout the day. Twenty-seven percent say they nap multiple times a week, 22% nap weekly or biweekly, 15% nap monthly, and 36% never nap.

Among those who snooze during the day, 29% nap for 30 minutes or less, while 48% nap for 31-60 minutes, and 23% sleep for 2+ hours. Although not everyone is napping, 28% wish they could once a day, 1 in 4 wish they could multiple times a week, and 11% wish they could nap every week.

Making sure your bed is comfortable is key to sleeping well. That includes having a comfortable mattress, such as a memory foam. However, 1 in 10 say their bed or mattress is uncomfortable. The general rule of thumb is to replace your mattress every 6 to 8 years, and on average, Americans are replacing their mattresses every 9 years. On top of that, 42% of people wash their bed sheets once a month, 41% wash them once a week, and 15% wash them every 2+ months. When it comes to pillow cases, 40% wash them once a month and 44% wash them once a week.

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Methodology

In July 2022, we surveyed 1,104 participants to learn more about bedtime routine and sleep habits. Among those surveyed, 49% were male, 49% female, and 2% were nonbinary. Respondents ranged in ages between 18 and 80. The average age was 39.

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