Saatva Releases Survey Revealing Millennials Are Best Sleepers

June 16, 2024  by HFBusiness Staff in Business Strategy, Industry   

Saatva surveyed 2,000 Americans divided among Gen Z (1997-2012), Millennials (1981-1996), Gen X (1965-1980), and Boomers (1946-1964) to find out who sleeps best and why. Among the highlights:

• While 75% Americans get between 6 and 8 hours of sleep per night, Millennials get the most sleep, with 85% logging 6+ hours. Gen X gets the least, with 18% sleeping 5 hours or fewer.
• Millennials also rate their sleep quality as better than any other generation. Nearly half (49%) say they have good sleep. Gen X get the worst sleep, with 27% rating their sleep as poor.
• Among all generations, 41% rate their sleep as “good,” 39% say it’s “okay,” and 20% rate their sleep as “bad.”

“Younger people tend to report better sleep quality than older people. It’s a common topic that I see in my practice,” says Shantha Gowda. PsyD, a licensed clinical health psychologist and behavioral sleep medicine specialist based in San Francisco. She points out that Gen X is the “sandwich” generation that is raising young children while dealing with aging parents.

“Gen X also has more of a ‘grind’ mentality when it comes to work,” Gowda says. “Younger Millennials and Gen Z are more likely to focus on work/life balance.” She notes that all of those stresses could contribute to Gen X’s sleep dissatisfaction.

What’s Keeping Americans Up at Night?

The survey also looked at the “sleep stealers” that are robbing Americans of their rest. 

• Among all generations, the most frequently cited culprits were finances (35%), physical health (33%), and work (25%).
• But for Gen Z, the biggest disruptor of sleep was social media. Over one-third of Gen Z respondents (35%) blamed social media for keeping them up at night.
• On the other hand, Gen Z was also the most likely to seek help for dealing with their anxiety, with nearly one-quarter (24%) having gone to therapy.
• Back pain was the most frequently reported health condition for all generations (31%), followed by insomnia (20%) and sleep apnea (15%). 

Not surprisingly, back pain dominated the physical complaints for Gen X and Boomers, but 29% of Millennials and 15% of Gen Z also cited it as their top physical ailment.

"Back pain does not discriminate. It affects all adults to a significant degree without giving credence to psychographics or demographics,” says chiropractor Chris Tomshack, CEO of HealthSource Chiropractic. “In fact, fully 50% of adults suffer from chronic or daily back pain, while 80% of adults will suffer a serious back pain event at some point in their life.”

Men, Women, and Couples

When it comes to sleep, the survey revealed some marked differences between the sexes. While more women than men say sleep is “very important” to them (67% vs. 58%), women are less likely than men to be satisfied with the quality of the sleep they are getting. Women also report that they struggle more than men with falling and staying asleep. 

• Men consistently rate their sleep quality as better than women, with 45% rating their sleep quality as good, vs. only 36% of women. Similarly, more women (23%) than men (16%) say they sleep badly. 
• Men are more likely to wake up earlier, with 22% rising between 5am and 6am, vs. 18% of women.
• However, men are also more likely to try to make up for lack of sleep on the weekend, with 38% saying they rise later on the weekend than during the week, vs. 35% of women.
• “Sleep divorce” is a trend among all generations, with 16% of all partnered couples reporting they sleep in separate beds. Boomers lead the way, with 21% of couples sleeping apart.  

How the Generations Get Better Sleep

Different generations say they have tried—or abandoned—a variety of habits in an effort to improve their sleep. 

• Gen Z and Millennials were most likely to have curbed electronics use, with 25% saying they have started turning off devices before bed. 
• All generations cited giving up caffeine before bed as their #1 habit change for better sleep (35%), followed by not eating a large evening meal (30%) or drinking a lot of water before bedtime (24%).
• Music was the most popular stress reliever, with 61% of all respondents saying they have used it to relax before sleep. 
• When it comes to cannabis, alcohol, and sleep supplements,  Millennials were the most likely to use cannabis (19%) or alcohol (11%) before bed, while Boomers (18%) were the most likely to use sleep supplements.

About the Survey
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,017 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 8–12 April 2024. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all US adults (aged 18+).