Key points
- CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) looks at how much sleep U.S. adults 18 and older get.
- The percentage of adults who do not get enough sleep varies by where they live and their sex, age, and race/ethnicity.
The basics
- BRFSS is a survey of adults that looks at health and risk behaviors, including sleep.
- Adults taking part in the BRFSS survey are asked:
- On average, how many hours of sleep do you get in a 24-hour period?
- The recommended amount of sleep for adults is at least 7 hours each day.
- Adults reporting less than 7 hours are:
- Getting insufficient sleep.
- Have short sleep duration.
Quick stats
Trends in insufficient sleep, 2013–2022
The percentage of adults not getting enough sleep stayed the same from 2013 to 2022.
Insufficient sleep by state, 2022
The percentage of adults not getting enough sleep varies by state. In 2022, it ranged from 30% of adults in Vermont to 46% adults in Hawaii.
Insufficient sleep by county, 2020
The percentage of adults not getting enough sleep differs by county. In 2020, it ranged from 24% of adults in Boulder County, Colorado, to 48% of adults in Greene County, Alabama.
Insufficient sleep among adults, 2022
The percentage of adults not getting enough sleep was highest in certain groups, including:
- Men (37%).
- Adults 45 to 64 (39%).
- Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander adults (49%).
Where the data comes from
National, state and population data
National, state and population trend data come from BRFSS from 2013–2022.
- Age-adjusted estimates are based on the U.S. 2000 standard population.
- Sleep was not part of the core BRFSS survey in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2021.
County-level data
County-level estimates come from CDC's PLACES, which uses model-based data from:
- BRFSS 2020.
- American Community Survey 2016–2020.
- U.S. Census 2020 county population estimates.