Why so many Americans and Canadians aren't sleeping enough
National health survey data from both countries points to roughly the same number: about a third of adults are falling short.
The US numbers, from the CDC
The CDC's 2024 data brief, based on the National Health Interview Survey, found that 30.5% of U.S. adults slept less than 7 hours per day on average — nearly a third of the adult population falling short of the recommended minimum (CDC NCHS Data Brief No. 559).
The age pattern in the US data
The CDC figures show a clear age curve: short sleep climbed from 27.2% among adults 18–34 to a peak of 34.5% among adults 50–64, before dropping back to 27.2% among adults 65 and older — middle age, not young adulthood, is where short sleep is most common in the US data.
It's not just duration — it's also quality
The same CDC data found only a little over half of US adults reported waking up feeling well-rested on most days — a reminder that hours in bed and actually feeling rested aren't the same measurement, and both matter.
The Canadian picture
Canadian survey data shows a broadly similar pattern to the US: roughly a third of Canadian adults report sleeping less than the recommended range, with adults aged 35–64 the age group most likely to fall short — closely mirroring the US mid-life peak.
Two countries, one likely explanation
Neither dataset pins down a single cause, but both point toward the same contributing factors well-documented in sleep research: irregular schedules, screen exposure before bed, caffeine timing, and the accumulated stress of the exact mid-life years (career, caregiving, financial pressure) where short sleep peaks in both countries' data.
Why mid-life sleep decline compounds with recovery
The same years that show the highest rate of short sleep in both national datasets are also, not coincidentally, the years where recovery matters most — for cognitive performance, for stress resilience, and for the day-to-day sense of running on a lower gear that many people write off as just "getting older".
What a herbal sleep blend can and can't do about this
No supplement fixes a bedroom that's too bright or a bedtime that shifts by two hours nightly — see our honest breakdown of what Valerian, Chamomile and Melatonin are actually evidenced for in melatonin vs valerian and why they're paired for sleep. A formula supports the transition into sleep; it doesn't override a genuinely disruptive routine.
Stress and sleep — a two-way relationship in the data
The APA's 2025 Stress in America survey found about 75% of adults reporting physical or emotional symptoms tied to stress — a figure that overlaps heavily with the population reporting short or poor-quality sleep, consistent with the well-documented bidirectional relationship between stress and sleep.
What the data doesn't tell you
National averages don't diagnose your specific situation — persistent insomnia, sleep apnea symptoms, or sleep problems that are significantly affecting daily function are worth raising with a doctor rather than inferring anything from a population statistic.
Frequently asked questions
Are Americans or Canadians getting less sleep?
The two datasets use different methodologies, but both land in a similar range — roughly a third of adults in each country reporting short sleep, with a similar mid-life peak in both.
Has US sleep gotten better or worse recently?
CDC data shows some improvement — 30.5% reporting short sleep in 2024 versus 36.8% in 2022 — though it's not yet clear if that reflects a genuine trend or year-to-year survey variation.
Why is the 35–64 age group hit hardest in both countries?
It's the demographic most likely to be juggling career demands, caregiving responsibilities and financial pressure simultaneously — a plausible, though not definitively proven, explanation for why this group shows up consistently as the most sleep-deprived in national data.
Does less sleep on weekends make up for weekday shortfalls?
Sleep researchers generally consider "catch-up" sleep an incomplete fix — consistency matters for sleep quality in a way that simply adding hours on weekends doesn't fully replicate.
How many hours should adults actually be getting?
Most health authorities in both countries recommend at least 7 hours per night for adults, with some guidance suggesting a range up to 9 depending on individual need.
Is this data self-reported, and does that matter?
Yes, both the CDC and Canadian surveys are self-reported, which can undercount subtle issues like fragmented sleep — actual population-level short sleep may be modestly higher than these figures suggest, not lower.
This article is for general information and isn’t medical advice. Talk to a healthcare professional before starting any new supplement, especially if pregnant, nursing, under 18, or managing a medical condition.
