Insufficient Sleep - Women in United States

United States

Getting sufficient sleep is vital for health and well-being. Sleep is crucial for cognitive processing, mood regulation, blood sugar level and immune system response. Insufficient sleep is associated with health problems, including heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease, stroke, obesity and depression. Research shows that shift work decreases sleep quality, increasing the risk of developing chronic sleep problems or sleep disorders. 

Insufficient sleep can lead to reduced productivity and quality of life and increased risk of medical errors, industrial accidents and motor vehicle and other road traffic accidents. A 2016 report by the Rand Corporation estimated that insufficient sleep costs the U.S. economy between $280-$411 billion each year in missed work days and reduced productivity. According to this analysis, if those who sleep fewer than six hours nightly increase their sleep to between six and seven hours, the annual GDP could increase by as much as $226.6 billion.

It is common to have trouble sleeping during pregnancy due to hormonal and physical changes such as pressure on the diaphragm, increased urinary frequency, restless legs syndrome and a growing belly. Women who get insufficient sleep during pregnancy are at increased risk of complications, including high blood pressure (preeclampsia), gestational diabetes, longer labor time and higher rates of cesarean section.

According to America’s Health Rankings analysis, the prevalence of insufficient sleep is higher among:

• Women ages 35-44 compared with women ages 18-24.
• Black women compared with Asian women.
• Women with some post-high school education compared with college graduates.
• Women with an annual household income less than $75,000 compared with those with an income of $75,000 or more.
• Women who have difficulty with self-care compared with women without a disability.
• Women who have served in the U.S. armed forces compared with those who have not served.

The National Institutes of Health recommends that adults sleep seven to eight hours nightly. Habits that help build and maintain a healthy sleep cycle include following a consistent sleep schedule, limiting the use of electronic devices before bedtime and limiting the consumption of caffeine, alcohol and nicotine products, as they can interfere with sleep. Engaging in aerobic exercise has been found to improve sleep quality, so long as it isn’t too close to bedtime. 

While taking naps may boost alertness, those with issues falling asleep at night should limit naps or take their naps earlier in the day. Adults should try to nap for at most 20 minutes at a time. 

Policy solutions to address insufficient sleep in the United States are limited, though some industries have worked to minimize the hazards of inadequate sleep. For example, in 2011, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education limited the number of consecutive hours first-year medical residents can be asked to work, increasing safety among employees and patients.

Healthy People 2030 has several sleep-related objectives, including increasing the proportion of adults who get sufficient sleep and reducing the rate of motor vehicle crashes due to drowsy driving.

Chattu, Vijay Kumar, Dilshad Manzar M.d, Soosanna Kumary, Deepa Burman, David Warren Spence, and Seithikurippu R. Pandi-Perumal. “The Global Problem of Insufficient Sleep and Its Serious Public Health Implications.” Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) 7, no. 1 (March 7, 2019). https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare7010001.

Hafner, Marco, Martin Stepanek, Jirka Taylor, Wendy M. Troxel, and Christian Van Stolk. “Why Sleep Matters: The Economic Costs of Insufficient Sleep.” Research Reports. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, April 17, 2017. https://doi.org/10.7249/RR1791.

Jackson, Chandra L., Susan Redline, and Karen M. Emmons. “Sleep as a Potential Fundamental Contributor to Disparities in Cardiovascular Health.” Annual Review of Public Health 36 (March 18, 2015): 417–40. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031914-122838.

Reinganum, Michael I., and Janelle Thomas. Shift Work Hazards. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing, 2024. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK589670/.

Weaver, Matthew D., Christopher P. Landrigan, Jason P. Sullivan, Conor S. O’Brien, Salim Qadri, Natalie Viyaran, Wei Wang, Céline Vetter, Charles A. Czeisler, and Laura K. Barger. “The Association Between Resident Physician Work-Hour Regulations and Physician Safety and Health.” The American Journal of Medicine 133, no. 7 (July 2020): e343–54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2019.12.053.