The Best and Worst Cities for Sleep

Sleep deprivation is far too common; in fact, for certain towns, it’s a growing problem. So, are you living in a sleepless city?

Carpenter Co. and SleepBetter.org, providers of comfort products, sleep information and advice, directed a sleep analysis. They used the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey, a nationwide health study. With 188,795 participants, they examined how many days per month people didn’t get enough sleep and how many people didn’t get enough sleep half of the time.

Worst Cities for Sleep

Their analysis led to a list of 100 sleep-deprived cities. Some of the featured cities include Washington, DC (number 55); New York, New York (number 33) and New Orleans, Louisiana (number 29). The top sleepless cities are:

1. Charleston, West Virginia. At the top of the list, the people of Charleston lose out on sleep 10.6 days out of every month.
2. Knoxville, Tennessee. An average of 10 days every month, participants in Knoxville don’t get enough sleep.
3. Paducah, Kentucky. The Paducah participants don’t get enough sleep 9.6 days out of the month.
4. Colorado Springs, Colorado. An average of 9.6 days every month, participants in Colorado Springs don’t get enough sleep.
5. Madison, Wisconsin. The town of Madison rounds up the top five sleepless cities. The participants don’t get enough sleep an average of 9.3 days out of every month.

Carpenter Co. and SleepBetter.org aren’t the only organizations invested in our nation’s sleeping patterns. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania created a U.S. “Sleep Map.” They found that more people in southern states like West Virginia and Tennessee were suffering from sleeping problems than in northern or western states.

What causes sleep discrepancy? Researchers are still investigating, but the University of Pennsylvania’s Dr. Grandner says that according to their initial data, mental health (like stress) and access to healthcare are strong factors for a city’s sleep deprivation. Stress factors include unemployment, job loss, financial, family and paying bills. Lack of sleep can also be rooted in environmental issues (amount of sunlight per day, temperature, etc.).

Best Cities for Sleep

Which northern and western cities are getting the most rest? According to the University of Pennsylvania and Carpenter Co./SleepBetter research, some of the cities can be found in states like California (San Diego), Hawaii (Honolulu) and Maine (Portland).

No matter where you live, a little extra rest is always welcomed. So, if you have trouble sleeping, try these Mindful tips like creating sleep rituals and eating the right foods.