New Survey Says Nearly 1 In 5 Americans Struggle Falling Asleep

A new survey suggests many Americans are struggling with sleep.

Nearly one in five Americans report struggling to fall asleep at night, according to the new survey from the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Professor of Internal Medicine Dr. Aneesa Das says from the pandemic to politics, people have more stress and worry. “We've noticed a 29% increase over the past several years in insomnia referrals to our clinic," Dr. Das says.

Stress can increase heart rate, blood pressure and make muscles tense. Dr Das says relaxation therapy can help manage stress as we're falling asleep. “One form is progressive muscle relaxation, where you progressively go through your body to relax your muscles. Another one is guided imagery where you really focus on a story or a scene, and it helps you to focus on something other than all the things that we're stressing about,” Dr. Das says.

Bad habits can also impact sleep. Nearly half of Americans are on phones before bed. More than a third fall asleep with the TV on. “We want bright light in the morning, which helps amplify our circadian drive. And then we want to decrease the amount of light we get in the evening," Dr. Das says.

Gina Fiorino is a busy, full-time working mom. The 44-year-old says it's not easy to get to sleep. “ I spend a lot of time trying to wind down. My brain does not slow down as fast as I probably would like it to,"

Fiorino says being able to spend more time with friends and doing activities is helping her stress. “I am able to talk through some things that are happening in the world and the community. I'm hoping that combined with just trying to get on a better fall asleep time schedule will help settle things out for me.” She also tries to set aside her phone when it's bedtime.

Sleep doctors also recommend talking to your healthcare provider if you're having a hard time falling asleep or staying asleep. Insomnia can sometimes be a symptom of an underlying medical condition.