Living in a big city definitely has its benefits. There’s more opportunities to meet a wide, diverse range of people, more stores and businesses, and generally more activity happening.
However, it’s still surprising to see certain cities listed as one of the most sleep-deprived cities in America.
There is some research and original data reporting from Sleep.com and SleepScore Labs about which cities in the U.S. are staying up the latest and sleeping the least. While, as a whole, experts recommend seven hours of sleep per night, none of these major cities even came close to that.
Out of the top cities, 12 American cities are getting less than six hours of sleep a night. Can you imagine on a regular basis what that does to your health? It has been shown in studies that a reduction in sleep actually increases your chances of cancer.
The city with the shortest average sleep time is Phoenix, which averages less than 5 hours and 45 minutes of sleep per night.
While people call New York “the city that never sleeps,” it looks like we should consider changing its nickname to “the city that goes to bed way too late.” According to SleepScore’s data, the Big Apple stays up the latest of all the cities profiled, clocking an average bedtime of 11:55 p.m. If you are a New Yorker, do you find this to be true? Anytime we have visited, it’s definitely a city that starts nighttime activity later than most places.
Do you see your city listed on here? How do you fare in comparison to the average?
Denver shows up as a front-runner in fitness activity time, according to SleepScore data. Its residents average nearly 33 minutes of exercise a day, and it also ranks in first place for getting the most sleep. If you’ve been to Denver you know how absolutely beautiful it is so it’s understandable there may be more exercise (being outdoors).
Physical activity helps people with higher quality sleep
There’s a lot of research showing daily physical activity outdoors is closely correlated with higher quality sleep, and the findings reinforce the notion.
Experts also recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise five days a week. This can be any exercise you want — from a brisk walk around the neighborhood to a bike ride or some weightlifting. People who get daily exercise fall asleep faster and get better sleep quality.
SleepScore’s data found that the two poorest-ranking cities for sleep, Phoenix and Dallas, both also reported the fewest and second-fewest minutes of exercise, respectively.
So, get outdoors in the morning for some moderate exercise and follow other sleep hygiene tips, like turning off your electronics an hour before bedtime to help improve your sleep, wherever you live!
Did your city make the list? Check out the list and get more info on how to improve your sleep.
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