TOMS RIVER, NJ – Americans were already losing sleep over the coronavirus, quarantine, business shutdowns and extended lockdowns, now things are getting worse as racial tensions once again are on the rise. According to a new study, 35% of Americans are not getting the recommended seven hours of sleep during the COVID-19 pandemic and 77% of those polled are actually losing sleep during the crisis.
Many people are also reporting radically altered sleeping patterns during the pandemic and falling asleep for 48% of Americans is harder than ever before. Although 70% of Americans know that lack of sleep makes them more vulnerable to COVID-19, only 11% are making a conscious effort to get more sleep.
The study was conducted by Sleep Standards, a mattress and bedding review company whose business is all about a good night’s sleep.
“In May 2020, we surveyed 1,015 respondents in the United States between the ages of 18 and 79 on how their sleep habits have changed post lockdown,” the company said. “The results reveal interesting data from the sleep habits of Americans post Coronavirus pandemic lockdown.”
“The lockdown has cost us more than just freedom and economy in the last 3 months. Our mental health and sleep habits are also badly affected. Since the active cases of COVID-19 is reducing, we can see the rollback of many restrictions around the U.S. However, our life is not going to return to normal anytime soon. That’s the reason why we conduct a study to find out how the Coronavirus pandemic has changed people’s sleep habits in the U.S. after lockdown is easing,” the company said.
As if the pandemic wasn’t enough to stress out the bulk of Americans, the George Floyd related protests and riots have made it worse. Here’s some more interesting tidbits from the survey:
- 41% of Americans would give up social media for better sleep during George Floyd protests
- Americans would willing to pay $328 for a perfect night’s sleep during the COVID-19 Pandemic & George Floyd Protests. This is up from $306, the average amount Americans said they’d pay in 2019
- 37% of Americans would give up sex or porn for a year of perfect sleep
- 39% of Americans would give up video games
- 26% would give up streaming service such as Netflix
You can read the full COVID-19 Sleep Study Survey results here.
Photo by Yuris Alhumaydy on Unsplash