Sleep & Stress Statistics (2022)
Written by: Derek Hales
Published on: June 23, 2022
Stress can have a big impact on the amount of sleep and quality of sleep you get.
In this analysis, we’re highlighting the most interesting connections between stress and sleep, including:
- Are men or women more stressed?
- How many adults suffer from sleep problems?
- What are the most common side effects of high stress?
- How does a lack of sleep impact stress?
- How do adults manage stress?
Sleep & Stress Stats (Editor’s Picks)
- Men vs. Women: Women are consistently more stressed-out compared to men.
- Sleep Issues: 32% of adults suffer directly from sleep problems.
- Impact on Women: Women consistently report higher levels of anxiety, exhaustion, depression, and other common health problems compared to men.
- Reducing Stress: 23.5% of adults report being stressed, while 33.5% of adults would like to reduce their level of stress
- A Lack of Energy: 38% of women report having “no energy”, compared to 27% of men who said the same.
- 8 Hours of Sleep: 25% of adults who get fewer than 8 hours of sleep each night reported that their stress increased in the past year, compared to just 19% of adults who got at least 8 hours of sleep.
- Teen Sleep: Teens who sleep less than 8 hours per night reported feeling more irritable, anxious, depressed, and overwhelmed compared to those teens who got at least 8 hours of sleep per night.
- Stress Management: 30% of adults who feel stress try to manage their stress by eating and 27% use sleep to deal with stress.
Are men or women more stressed?
Studies show that the stress level of women is consistently higher than the stress level of men. The following chart shows reported stress levels for men vs. women over a 7 year period.
While stress levels did drop over time for both genders, women had higher levels than men every year.
Stress level by gender among U.S. adults (2007-2015)
How many adults suffer from sleep problems?
In a recent study of over 1,000 adult respondents, over 74% suffered at least sometimes from select health symptoms.
Mental health and quality sleep are closely linked. As a result, while 32% of people suffer directly from sleep problems, many others suffer indirect mental health issues that negatively impact sleep.
- 33% of women and 23% of men suffer from anxiety
- 21% of women and 17% of men suffer from exhaustion / burnout
- 23% of women and 15% of men suffer from low spirits / depression
- 35% of women and 29% of men suffer from sleep problems
Sources: Statista
What are the most common side effects of high stress?
Stress is a growing part of many people’s lives. 33.5% of U.S. adults would like to reduce their stress levels.
25% of women and 19% of men feel exhausted or burnt out. On a similar chord, 38% of women and 27% of men feel worn out or have no energy.
Stress can be very hard to escape from. 13% of people have problems unwinding in the evening or on weekends. Furthermore, 7% of people even have trouble unwinding on vacation.
Only 6% of people felt that they achieved peak performance only under stressful circumstances.
Sources: Statista
How does a lack of sleep impact stress?
Studies are showing that stress is on the rise, and when you are stressed, you are less likely to get quality sleep. So what happens when you don’t get quality sleep?
There are a variety of negative symptoms that users begin to feel from lack of sleep. Symptoms include:
- Irritability
- Anger
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Lacking interest
- Losing patience
- Skipping exercise
- Increased stress
25% of people adults who got less than 8 hours of sleep noticed increased stress compared to only 19% for adults who got at least 8 hours of sleep.
Lack of Sleep Impact on U.S. Teens
Similar results were noted in teens as well.
The table below shows that teens lacking sleep felt negative mental effects—50% of teens felt irritable and angry, 46% felt nervous or anxious, 43% felt depressed or sad, and 42% felt overwhelmed.
Teens who got at least 8 hours of sleep noted significantly lower levels of stress.
Sources: APA, Statista 1, Statista 2
How do adults manage stress?
When faced with stress, there are a number of different strategies that may be used to overcome that stress.
While comfort food and emotional release top the list, sleep is a popular third choice. Up to 27% of people rely on sleep to help ease the mental load of stressful situations.
Conclusion
Stress is an unfortunate part of most people’s lives, regardless of age, location, occupation, or income. People are noting having more stress than they would like and would prefer to find a way to decrease stress levels.
Studies show that people oftentimes use sleep as a way to deal with stress. When the body gets enough sleep, people report lower levels of stress, irritability, loss of patience, lack of interest, and a decreased chance of feeling overwhelmed.
