Americans living in big cities and along the coasts are missing out on more sleep than the rest of the country, new data shows.
Meanwhile, less populated states with wide open spaces got more shut-eye, according to an analysis of Google searches for sleep remedies and insomnia.
Noise, commuting and caffeine may all be responsible for these residents experiencing more sleep deprivation than more rural populations.
The data, seen on the DailyMail.com interactive map, sheds light on which populations are more likely to make up a third of Americans who don’t get enough sleep each night and are more vulnerable to a host of chronic health conditions.
The map above shows the number of sleep-related searches per 100,000 residents by state. California performed worst overall, while Montana performed best
Mattress sales company Amerisleep analyzed data from the past 12 months for 96 search terms on Google related to sleep, such as “insomnia,” “sleep deprivation,” and “how to fall asleep faster.”
The company then aggregated the data to calculate a rate by multiplying search volumes by 100,000 and dividing that figure by the state’s population.
The findings suggest that California was the most sleep-deprived state in the country, with the highest rate of sleep-related searches and a rate of 805 searches per 100,000 residents.
The second worst state for sleep was Maryland, with a rate of 770 sleep searches per 100,000 residents, followed by New York State, with 765 sleep-related searches.
Rounding out the top five were Massachusetts (754) and Nevada (753).
However, Montana was the country’s least sleep deprived state, with only 480 seekers per 100,000 homes.
It was followed by South Dakota (487), Idaho (515), Wyoming (516), and Iowa (518).
Overall, the average national search rate for sleep-related problems was 699 per 100,000 residents.
Research shows that people living in urban areas have a harder time sleeping due to increased noise and pollution.
Dr. Lisa Wolfe, a sleep specialist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, told the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), “As a ‘big city doctor’, I see that there is insomnia associated with the city.”
Studies have shown that noise is one of the biggest sleep disturbances in cities, as people may live too close to a highway, busy street, or major airport.
People living in larger cities are also more likely to have office jobs that start early in the morning or have to work late, meaning less time to rest.
Also, residents in these areas, where there is often a coffee shop on every corner, are more likely to drink caffeine, which has been shown to spoil sleep quality if consumed too late in the day.
Commuting to work, whether on public transportation or in heavy traffic, also leaves less time to sleep, Dr. Wolfe said.
Montana, on the other hand, is a more rural state full of wide open spaces. The entire state has a population of just one million, one-eighth the number in New York City alone. This means less noise to disrupt sleep quality.
It also puts more emphasis on agricultural work than corporate careers, making sleep deprivation from commuting less likely than in major cities.
The above shows the proportion of Americans who say they don’t sleep long enough. This was unchanged from 2013 to 2020
The findings come at a time when one in three American adults isn’t getting enough sleep, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The agency recommends that all adults get seven to nine hours of sleep each night.
However, young people need significantly more time in bed: teenagers need eight to ten hours of sleep and children six to twelve years old need nine to twelve hours.
A lack of sleep is consistently associated with chronic health problems such as sleep apnea, heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, obesity and depression.
It can also lead to insomnia, where someone routinely has trouble falling asleep.
An Amerisleep spokesperson said of the data: ‘A good night’s sleep is essential for our body to repair and maintain itself.
“Sleep disorders are becoming more common in modern times due to lifestyle changes such as work schedules, technology and overall health.”