How Long Are Americans Sleeping?

According to new American Time Use Survey data, Americans now spend more time sleeping—or trying to sleep—than they did two decades ago.

The American Time Use Survey, a Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) survey that has tracked how Americans spend a 24-hour day since 2003, reveals contradictory evidence. The survey shows that the average time Americans spend sleeping or trying to sleep increased by 28 minutes per day from 2003 to 2024. People across almost all groups reported more sleep, including men and women, people of most races, and people of every age bracket.

There is some conflicting evidence about sleep trends. Different surveys sometimes report different results. For example, an analysis of National Health Interview Survey data found the number of short sleepers (people who sleep fewer than six hours per day) grew between 2004 and 2017. And, regardless of trends, many Americans are currently sleep-deprived. Roughly one-third of US adults report getting less than the recommended amount of sleep.

One study found that the increase in sleep has been due to fewer people watching television or reading shortly before bed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified these risk factors for poor sleep.

Google searches for “can't sleep” have risen 8-fold from 2004 to 2026, perhaps suggesting that some of the rise in reported sleep in the American Time Use Survey is due to people struggling to sleep rather than actually sleeping.