How do your nights compare with everyone else’s: how many US adults sleep less than 7 hours, how many wake up feeling well-rested, and how common is trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, for women and men and at different ages? The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), part of CDC, asked these questions in its 2024 National Health Interview Survey, and its April 2026 report answers each one.
Three of the measures below ask how often something happened during the past 30 days, and they count adults who said “most days” or “every day”. Each is its own question, so the shares do not add up to a single figure.
How many US adults sleep less than 7 hours?
In 2024, 30.5% of US adults slept less than 7 hours on average in a 24-hour period, about 1 in 3 (our arithmetic). NCHS notes that the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends at least 7 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period for adults.
Men (30.6%) and women (30.4%) were similar on this measure in 2024. By age, the share rose from 27.2% of adults 18 to 34 to 34.5% of those 50 to 64, then fell back to 27.2% of those 65 and older.
How many wake up feeling well-rested?
In 2024, 54.8% of US adults said they woke up feeling well-rested most days or every day. Men were more likely to say so (58.2%) than women (51.7%). Adults 65 and older had the highest share of any age group on this measure, 63.5%.
Is trouble falling asleep common?
In 2024, 15.4% of US adults had trouble falling asleep most days or every day, about 1 in 6 (our arithmetic). Women were more likely to report it (18.5%) than men (12.2%). It became less common with age, from 18.3% of adults 18 to 34 to 12.8% of those 65 and older.
What about staying asleep?
Just under one in five US adults, 18.1%, had trouble staying asleep most days or every day in 2024. Women reported it more often (21.4%) than men (14.6%). By age, the share went from 12.7% of adults 18 to 34 to 22.3% of those 50 to 64, and it was similar, 21.7%, for those 65 and older.
Where do these numbers come from?
The National Health Interview Survey is a nationally representative household survey of the US civilian noninstitutionalized population. Every estimate is based on self-report: people describe their own sleep, and the figures are not diagnoses. Short sleep means answering 0 to 6 hours when asked how many hours of sleep you get in a 24-hour period, on average.
The short version
In 2024, 30.5% of US adults slept less than 7 hours on average in a 24-hour period, and 54.8% woke up feeling well-rested most days or every day. On separate questions, 15.4% had trouble falling asleep and 18.1% had trouble staying asleep most days or every day.
If your sleep question is really about who gets the blanket, see how many couples sleep in separate beds.
Last checked: 2026-10-20, against NCHS Data Brief No. 559 (National Health Interview Survey, 2024). This article was machine-checked against the sources above and has not been expert-reviewed. Spotted an error or a newer public figure? Please tell us on our contact page with the article link and we will review it.
Sources
- S1 Ng AE, Black LI, Adjaye-Gbewonyo D. “Short Sleep Duration and Sleep Difficulties Among Adults: United States, 2024.” NCHS Data Brief No. 559, National Center for Health Statistics, April 2026. Tables 1 to 4 and Definitions. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db559.htm . Saved copy accessed Oct 20, 2026.