Trends in prevalence of short sleep duration and trouble sleeping among US adults, 2005-2018

Abstract

Study objectives: To determine trends in prevalence of short sleep duration and trouble sleeping among US adults from 2005 to 2018, and to assess how sleep trends vary by sex and race/ethnicity.

Methods: Seven cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data between 2005-2006 and 2017-2018 were analyzed. Trouble sleeping and sleep duration were self reported. Short sleep duration was defined as sleep duration ≤6 hr. Age-standardized prevalence of reporting trouble sleeping to a health care provider and short sleep duration were estimated among the overall US adult population, and by sex and race/ethnicity.

Results: From 2005 to 2014, the age-adjusted prevalence of short sleep duration remained similar in the overall population (p for trend >0.05). Non-Hispanic Black people had the highest prevalence of short sleep duration among all race/ethnicity groups in all seven cycles. The prevalence of short sleep duration appears lower in 2015-2018 than in 2005-2014 due to different measurement methods applied. However, from 2005 to 2018, there were increasing trends in age-adjusted prevalence of reporting trouble sleeping to a health care provider in the overall population, among both men and women, and all race/ethnicity groups (p for trend <0.05). Among all the race/ethnicity groups, non-Hispanic White people had the highest prevalence of reporting trouble sleeping to a healthcare provider.

Conclusion: Findings depict the persistence of sleep-related issues in the United States and possible risk factors, as well as racial disparities.

Keywords: prevalence; short sleep duration; trends; trouble sleeping.