When you think about what’s going to keep you from getting a good night’s sleep, you might imagine noisy neighbors, a fussy child, or a snoring partner. But some things that aren’t so easy to manage — like your age, gender, and where you live — could also affect your sleep quality, according to a WebMD survey of more than 2,000 people.
How does age affect sleep?
Doctors have long known that sleep patterns change with age. Older people have more sleep disturbances, sleep less in general, and spend less time in the deepest stages of sleep.
But interestingly, more survey participants aged 65 and over reported having “good” or “very good” sleep in the past month (80%) than those in all other age groups. age, with the exception of 35-44 (also 80%).
People aged 45-54 were the least likely to report quality sleep (67%), followed closely by people aged 55-64 and 25-34 (68% each). Among the youngest group, aged 18 to 24, 76% said they slept well. (The survey used a nationally representative sample, meaning the group was similar to the general US population in terms of age, gender, race and location.)
But experts say sleep quality is subjective. At all ages, most who participated in the survey did not get the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep. Those aged 25 to 34 slept the least, with 70% reporting less than 7 hours of sleep. People over 65 were the most likely to get enough sleep; 40% said they slept more than 7 hours.
Here’s how many hours of sleep respondents slept on average per night:
- 18-24 years old: 5.7 hours
- 25-34: 5.5
- 35-44: 5.8
- 45-54: 5.8
- 55-65: 5.8
- 65 and over: 5.9
What keeps you from getting a full night’s sleep? People aged 35 and over said that getting up to use the bathroom most often prevented them from sleeping well. For 18-34 year olds, the biggest sleep disruptor was mental or emotional distress, such as worry.
The pressures of work, parenthood and other daily tasks can affect sleep, experts say. As we age, physical changes and health issues come into play.
“From our late 20s through our 60s, we often have increased responsibilities such as children who might play a role,” says Marri Horvat, MD, of the Cleveland Clinic’s Sleep Disorders Center. “And as we age, the prevalence of medical conditions that affect our sleep, such as sleep apnea, becomes more prominent.”
Changes in our internal clock, as our bodies produce less melatonin, the sleep hormone, is one of the reasons older people sleep less well, she says. You may also become less active, physically and socially, during the day, which can affect sleep patterns. Even if you don’t have a sleep disorder, you’re more likely to have another condition, such as chronic pain, that interferes with sleep.
None of this means you should expect to sleep poorly once you hit a certain age, says Horvat.
“A lot of times, as people get older, they think poor sleep is normal,” she says. “Patients often tell me they have prostate, bladder or diabetes [issues], and that’s why they wake up so often to urinate. But we find they have sleep apnea and we treat it, and now they can sleep through the night.
How Does Sex Affect Sleep?
Research has shown that being female makes you more prone to insomnia. It affects more than 1 in 4 women in the United States, but less than 1 in 5 men. Studies have also shown that women are more often affected by daytime sleepiness. They are also more likely to have memory and concentration problems due to sleep loss.
This matches the results of WebMD’s survey. In it, 32% of people who identified as women reported having poor sleep, compared to 22% of those who identified as men. Women are also less likely to sleep 7 hours or more per night: 34% said they achieved this goal, compared to 40% of men.
There are several reasons for this, experts say. One is hormonal. Pregnancy, menopause, and perimenopause (the time before menopause) can all disrupt sleep.
Symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats and mood swings in particular can have adverse consequences. Alon Avidan, MD, director of the Sleep Disorders Center at UCLA, says rates of insomnia and sleep apnea increase during menopause.
Another factor, he says, is that women still tend to shoulder more of the burden of childcare and household responsibilities. This leads to more stress and less time to rest.
The WebMD survey only included 15 people who identified as non-binary (not all male or all female). This group was less likely to report having had poor sleep in the month prior to the survey than those who identified as male or female. Only 13% of non-binary people said they slept poorly.
But non-binary people in the survey were less likely to sleep 7 or more hours a night than those who identified as male or female.
There isn’t a lot of other research on sleep in non-binary people, but at least one study found that poor sleep is common among non-binary and transgender people.
Some researchers say there is evidence that gay and lesbian people may also be more prone to sleep problems than others. WebMD’s survey did not ask participants about their sexual orientation.
How does location affect sleep?
The part of the country you live in doesn’t seem to have much of an effect on your sleep. In our survey, people living in the West were slightly more likely to report good sleep quality (76%) than those in other regions (72% to 73%).
Here is the percentage of people in each region who report sleeping 7 hours or more per night:
- Midwest, 41%
- West, 41%
- Northeast, 34%
- South, 32%
In the survey, 83% of people living in urban areas reported having good quality sleep, as did 65% of people living in rural areas and 67% of those living in suburban areas. But rural residents were slightly more likely to sleep 7 hours or more per night (39%) than those living in urban areas (37%) or suburbs (34%).
Other research has had mixed results, says Horvat. Experts continue to research the link between geography and sleep.
Avidan says that among his patients, those who live in cities tend to sleep worse. This may be due to noise pollution or security concerns.
“People who live in neighborhoods where it’s not safe may have trouble sleeping,” he says. “They are always on guard or have to worry about their safety. These people tend to have more anxiety-related insomnia.
How does weight affect sleep?
Research has shown that people who are overweight or obese tend to have more sleep problems, such as:
- Sleep Apnea
- Insomnia
- daytime tiredness
- Agitated sleep
- Sleep interrupted
In WebMD’s survey, people who were obese (defined as a body mass index, or BMI, of 30 or more) were more likely to say they slept poorly. Poor sleep has been reported among:
- 37% of obese people
- 31% of overweight people
- 30% of people with a healthy BMI
One study found that people who lost weight — and especially those who lost fat in the belly area — improved the quality of their sleep.
How does employment status affect sleep?
Another factor that can affect the quality of your sleep is whether you work or go to school. In WebMD’s survey, people who worked full time were the most likely to say they had good quality sleep (81%). Of the other groups, good sleep was reported among:
- 74% of part-time workers
- 70% of retirees
- 69% of students
- 65% of self-employed
- 60% of those who were unemployed and looking for work
- 58% of housewives
- 58% of those who are unemployed and not looking for work
- 42% of those unable to work
It may seem contrary to belief that people who work longer hours say they sleep better. But experts say there could be several reasons for the result
“People who are in school or working often access health care to be formally assessed for sleep-related issues,” says Horvat. It is possible that having a regular schedule helps improve the quality of sleep. Having less financial constraints or less stress could also play a role.”
How does household size affect sleep?
Few research studies have examined how household size affects sleep, although one study found that married couples without children were the least likely to report sleep problems.
But according to our survey, the number of people you live with could influence the quality and duration of your sleep. For those surveyed, a bigger household equated to better eye closure — at least up to a point.
In homes with:
- 1 person: 66% report having good quality sleep; 38% said they slept 7 hours more per night
- 2 people: the percentages were 68% and 39%
- 3 people: 78% and 31%
- 4 people: 76% and 32%
- 5 people: 85% and 47%
- 6 people or more: 64% and 41%
How do race and ethnicity affect sleep?
We need more research on the links between race and sleep quality. But national studies have shown that black people in the United States are less likely than those of other racial and ethnic groups to get at least 7 hours of sleep per night. Some have also found higher rates of what doctors call “short sleep” in Hispanics and other minority groups than in whites.
Some researchers have said this is likely an effect of discrimination and the disparities and stress it causes rather than race or ethnicity itself.
In the WebMD survey, Asians and people of Hispanic origin were the most likely to say they slept well. Eighty-one percent of each group said their sleep quality was good, compared to 74% of blacks and 73% of whites.
Avidan says access to health care might play a role in the differences, but we just don’t have enough information to understand how race and ethnicity affect sleep. Historically, most research has focused on white Americans.
“It’s very likely that race and ethnicity have an impact on sleep,” he says. “It’s just that the number of studies that have been done is very limited.”
