How Many Americans Experience Stress and Sleeplessness? (2025)

Report Highlights 

More than 50 million Americans suffer from chronic sleep disorders, and nearly half of Americans reported they frequently experienced stress, affecting their sleep quality and quantity.

• 50 million Americans live with chronic sleep disorders

• 57% of Americans don't get enough sleep

• 43% of adults say they feel more stressed in 2024 than they did the previous year, up from 37% in 2023

• About 30% to 40% of U.S. adults report symptoms of insomnia

• 49% of Americans now report experiencing frequent stress

• 20% of American adults get just five hours of sleep each night

• 36% of women versus 48% of men say they get the sleep they need

How Many Americans Experience Stress

Stress is becoming more prevalent in U.S. adults:

• Nearly half of Americans, 49%, report frequently experiencing stress [1].

• 43% of adults say they feel more stressed in 2024 than they did the previous year, up from 37% in 2023, and 32% in 2022 [2].

• 82% of American men experience moderate to extreme stress [32].

• Women reported a higher average level of stress than men (5.3 vs. 4.8 out of 10) and were more likely to rate their stress levels between an 8 and a 10 than men (27% versus 21%) [33].

What Americans Are Stressed About

Americans feel stress about a number of topics, such as work, the state of the world, climate change, gun violence, and paying bills.

• 83% of U.S. workers say they experience work-related stress [4].

• Day-to-day stress in America is regarding health (65%), money (63%), and the economy (64%) [4].

• U.S. adults worry about current events (70%) — especially the economy (77%), the 2024 U.S. election (73%), and gun violence (69%) [2].

• Other factors American adults experience stress about include keeping themselves or their families safe (68%), protecting their identity (63%), the opioid epidemic (50%), and climate change (57%). [2]

• Women are more likely than men to report feeling “consumed” by money stresses (50% vs. 44%), including those related to both essential and unexpected costs [33].

• Women are also more likely than men to cite family responsibilities (58% vs. 52%) and relationships (49% vs. 44%) as key stressors in their lives [33].

How Many Americans Struggle to Sleep

The sleeplessness crisis is growing, with more people in America sleeping less and being diagnosed with chronic sleep disorders, affecting their mental health. More women than men say they get less sleep than they need.

• More than 50 million Americans have chronic sleep disorders [3].

• 57% of adults would feel better if they got more sleep [1].

• Only 25% of Americans get an average of eight hours of sleep per night [1].

• 20% of Americans report sleeping five hours or less per night [1].

• 36% of women versus 48% of men say they get the sleep they need [1].

• 40% of adults say sleep has a significant impact on their mental health  [2].

Sleep Deprivation Has Become an Epidemic in the U.S.

Sleep deprivation is causing illnesses like cardiovascular disease and obesity, and mental disorders like depression.

• In 1942, 59% of Americans were getting eight hours or more of sleep per night [1]. By 2024, this figure had dropped to 25%, with 20% sleeping five hours or less [1].

• Chronic sleep deprivation is linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, and depression [5].

• Sleep disorders such as insomnia affect nearly one-third of adults and are often related to underlying stress and anxiety [2].

The Causes of Sleep Deprivation and Sleep Disturbances 

There are a number of reasons why American adults struggle with sleep deprivation, including sleep disorders, insomnia, sleep disturbances, and sleep apnea: 

• 10-15% of people experience chronic insomnia, a type of insomnia that persists over multiple months [25].

• Sleep disorders affect 39% to 47% of perimenopausal women and 35% to 60% of postmenopausal women [29].

• Women are 40% more likely to suffer from insomnia than men [26].

• 95% of adults lose at least an hour of sleep to pain in a given week [17].

• In a 2020 study, 58% of a sample of post-9/11 veterans surveyed as positive for insomnia [27].

• About 57% of men, 40% of women, and 27% of children snore in the U.S [30], and up to 70% of snorers have been diagnosed with sleep apnea [31].

• Up to 75% of older adults experience symptoms of insomnia [28].

Mental Health and Sleep Problems 

Mental health and sleeplessness are linked:

• 40% of people who suffer from insomnia may have diagnosable mental health disorders [11].

• 70% of adults with Seasonal Affective Disorder feel tired in the winter [12].

• 83% of adults with depression may have at least one symptom of insomnia [13].

• 79.5% of U.S. adults say they have experienced trouble falling asleep on Sundays due to stress and anxiety, compared to other days of the week [14].

Parenting and Sleep 

Parents experience less stress than child-free adults: 

• New mothers lose up to 62 minutes of sleep per night, as opposed to 10 minutes of sleep lost for new fathers [9].

• 43% of single parents sleep less than seven hours a night [10].

• 33% of adults in two-parent homes sleep less than seven hours a night [10].

How Much Teenagers Sleep 

Teenagers require healthy sleep; however are sleeping less:

• Teenagers get on average 7 and 7 ¼ hours of sleep on school nights, often losing sleep due to early school start times, and social and school obligations [15].

• Adolescents push their bedtime back by 16 minutes for every 30 minutes they spend playing video games [18].

• 58% of middle schoolers and 72% of high school students get less than the recommended amount of sleep for their age [19].

Children and Sleep 

The statistics for children and sleep include:

• According to estimates, 10% to 50% of children ages 3 to 6 have occasional nightmares, which may be caused by stress or anxiety [20].

• 20% to 30% of children have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep [16].

• 30.8% of parents and guardians say their school-age children are not getting enough sleep [17].

Getting Enough Sleep When You’re Pregnant

Certain factors affect how much sleep people get when they are pregnant, for example, snoring and sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and sleep disorders.

• Around 50% of people who are pregnant experience insomnia-like symptoms [21].

• As many as 50% of pregnant people snore, with snoring typically getting worse during the third trimester [22].

• Sleep apnea affects as many as 1 in 5 people [23].

• Restless legs syndrome affects up to one-third of people during their third trimester [24].

• The odds of having a premature birth are increased by 40% if the pregnant person has a sleep disorder [17].

Americans are Using Melatonin to Combat Sleeplessness 

While exact percentages are not always reported, widespread Melatonin use suggests many Americans believe melatonin is effective in treating sleeplessness. 

• 88% of adults who take melatonin say it helps them fall asleep faster [17].

• On average, adults who take melatonin do it 211 days each year. 39% of adults take melatonin every day [17].

• Clinical research shows melatonin is modestly effective, especially for reducing time to fall asleep in certain conditions [7].

• More than 6 in 10 Americans (64%) have taken melatonin to help them sleep [6].

• Melatonin use increased from 0.4% of survey respondents in 1999 to 2000 to 2.1% in 2017 to 2018 [8].

• Melatonin use increased 425% between 1999 and 2018 [8].

• 46% of parents report giving melatonin to their children under 13 to help them fall asleep [17].

Melatonin Use According to Reason

To address sleep deprivation, many Americans have been turning to melatonin supplements to support falling and staying asleep.

• Melatonin is used to combat jet lag, insomnia, and shift work sleep disorder [7].

• Studies show melatonin can support people with less-common sleep disorders caused by problems with the body’s internal clock (delayed sleep phase disorder) [7].

• Melatonin may improve sleep onset latency and duration in some patients [7].

Conclusion: A Tired Nation Looking for Solutions

Stress and sleeplessness remain closely linked and widely experienced. Nearly half of Americans report high stress, while the majority are falling short of recommended sleep hours. This national rest deficit has significant consequences for mental, emotional, and physical health.

Melatonin has emerged as a go-to remedy for many, particularly younger and middle-aged adults navigating demanding lifestyles. While not a silver bullet, it offers a natural and accessible path toward better sleep for millions.

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