Sleep plays a central role in physical health, mental well-being, and daily performance. To better understand how Americans are actually sleeping, NapLab analyzed large-scale survey data to identify national and state-level sleep trends shaping rest in 2026.
This study is based on an analysis conducted in January 2026 using responses from more than 50,000 U.S. adults across all 50 states. The dataset combines 48,000 responses collected throughout 2025 via NapLab’s personalized mattress quiz with an additional 2,400 responses from a nationally distributed survey fielded between December 2025 and January 2026.
Participants answered questions related to sleep duration, sleep quality, habits, challenges, mattress preferences, and lifestyle factors affecting rest. Responses were aggregated and analyzed at both the national and state levels to identify emerging sleep trends and statistically significant patterns across the U.S. Read on to discover what NapLab found.
Key Findings
- Americans report sleeping an average of about 7 hours per night, with 38% getting less than 7 hours on average.
- Only 12% of Americans get more than 8 hours of sleep per night.
- The most common bedtime in the U.S. is between 10 and 11 p.m. (26%), followed by 11 p.m. to midnight (21%). A surprising 29% of Americans go to bed after midnight.
- Americans sleep an average of 2 extra hours on weekends or days off, with 26% sleeping in by more than 2 hours.
- Women generally sleep more than men, with only 22% of men getting 8 or more hours of sleep on average, compared to 32% of women.
- Despite sleeping less, men report feeling well-rested more often, averaging 4 days per week, compared to 3 days per week for women.
- Bedtimes generally get earlier with age: 45% of Gen Z go to sleep after midnight, compared to 31% of Millennials, 24% of Gen X, and 23% of Baby Boomers.
- Gen Z gets the best sleep overall, with 74% sleeping at least 7 hours, while Gen X sleeps the least, with 44% sleeping under 7 hours.
- Napping is common across the U.S., with 59% of Americans taking at least 1 nap per week, and the average American napping 1–2 times weekly.
- Americans are primarily side sleepers, with 39% sleeping exclusively on their side and 86% sleeping on their side at least some of the time.
- Mattress preferences skew heavily toward two sizes, with 48% of Americans owning a King mattress and 42% owning a Queen.
Table of Contents
A Snapshot of America’s Sleep Trends in 2026
National Sleep Health & Napping
As a consequence for many Americans sleeping an average of less than 7 hours per night, the average American only feels well-rested 3 days per week. Napping appears to be one way Americans try to make up for not sleeping enough. 59% of Americans take at least one nap per week.
America’s Sleep Schedule
America’s most common bedtime is between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. The most common wakeup time is between 6 and 7 a.m. However, those early mornings don’t come naturally for many U.S. residents. 1 in 6 Americans sets three or more alarms to wake up. Many Americans subscribe to alternative sleep schedules, with 29% of Americans going to bed after midnight (12 a.m.) and 25% waking up before 6 a.m.
Average U.S. Sleep Conditions
Americans are overwhelmingly side sleepers, with 86% sleeping on their side at least some of the time, compared to 42% on their back and 27% on their stomach. The majority (56%) of Americans prefer to sleep in cold or very cold room temperatures; only 9% prefer warm room temperatures.
Nearly ⅔ of Americans are not washing their sheets weekly, which is noncompliant with the expert-recommended rate to maintain a clean bed.
America’s Most Common Articles of Clothing Worn as Pajamas in 2026
The most common articles of clothing Americans wear to bed are:
- T-shirt (60%)
- Underwear bottoms (56%)
- Shorts/pants (40%)
- Pajama set (22%)
- Socks (20%)
- Nothing/nude (9%)
- Bra (7%)
- Other (5%)
How Long Does Each U.S. State Sleep Per Night?
Across the U.S., the national average lands right around 7 hours of sleep per night.
At the top of the list, Georgia reports the highest average sleep duration at 7h 23m, followed closely by California (7h 21m) and Illinois (7h 20m). These states sit comfortably above the national average and are among the few where residents, on average, clear the seven-hour mark with room to spare.
At the other end of the spectrum, Indiana ranks last, with residents averaging just 6h 29m of sleep per night. Hawaii (6h 37m) and New Jersey (6h 43m) also fall well below the national average, rounding out the least-rested states in the country. Notably, the bottom ten states all average under seven hours, a threshold many sleep experts consider the bare minimum for adult health.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, regularly sleeping less than seven hours per night is associated with an increased risk of chronic conditions, including heart disease, obesity, diabetes, depression, and weakened immune function. In other words, a large share of Americans are not getting enough sleep.
2026 Sleep Statistics by State
Most and Least Sleep on Average
- Most sleep: Georgia — 7h 23m
- Least sleep: Indiana — 6h 29m
Earliest and Latest Bedtimes
- Earliest bedtime: Maine — 37.5% go to bed before 10 p.m.
Latest bedtime: Indiana — 48.1% go to bed after midnight
Wake-Up Alarms
- Most alarms set: Nebraska — 2.08 alarms on average
- Fewest alarms set: Arizona — 0.96 alarms on average
Cleanest and Dirtiest Sheets
- Cleanest sheets: North Carolina — 48% wash at least once a week
- Dirtiest sheets: Delaware — 16.67% wash at least once a week
2026 Sleep Trends by Generation
Sleep behaviors such as bedtimes, sleeping-in, and alarm clock use steadily shift with age.
Bedtimes Get Earlier With Age
Going to sleep after midnight is far more common among younger adults and drops with each older generation.
- 45% of Gen Z go to sleep after midnight
- 31% of Millennials
- 24% of Gen X
- 23% of Baby Boomers
Sleeping In Becomes Less Common
While most younger Americans sleep in on weekends or days off to catch up on rest, that behavior also declines with age. The steepest drop—nearly a quarter (23%)—occurs between Gen X and Baby Boomers, indicating that retirement likely plays a role in reducing the difference between weekdays and weekends in Baby Boomers’ schedules.
- 83% of Gen Z sleep in on days off
- 79% of Millennials
- 73% of Gen X
- 50% of Baby Boomers
Number of Alarms Set Dwindles
Each generation sets fewer alarms than the one before it, suggesting mornings become more predictable with age.
- Gen Z: 2.4 alarms on average
- Millennials: 1.7
- Gen X: 1.1
- Baby Boomers: 0.7
Gen Z Sleep Statistics
Despite their later bedtimes and heavier reliance on alarms, Gen Z also posts some of the strongest sleep-related metrics.
- 74% of Gen Z sleep at least 7 hours per night, the highest share of any generation.
- 68% nap at least once a week, also the highest rate.
- 20% do not wash their bedsheets at least once a month, another one at the highest of any generation.
2026 Sleep Statistics: Men vs. Women
Men Sleep Less, but Feel More Rested
Men are more likely than women to fall short on sleep duration. Only 22% of American men sleep at least 8 hours per night, on average, compared to 32% of women. Women are also twice as likely as men to get at least 9 hours of sleep.
Despite this gap, men report feeling more rested overall. On average, men feel well-rested 4 days per week, while women report feeling well-rested only 3 days per week.
Women Are More Consistent With Sheet Washing
36% of women wash their sheets at least once a week, compared to 27% of men. This means Women are 33% more likely than men to wash their sheets at the recommended frequency of at least once per week.
What Are Men & Women Wearing to Bed?
Men most commonly sleep in:
- Underwear bottoms (20%)
- Underwear bottoms + T-shirt (16%)
- Shorts/pants + T-shirt (11%)
Women most commonly sleep in:
- Underwear bottoms + T-shirt (14%)
- Shorts/pants + T-shirt (13%)
- Pajama set (11%)
Sleeping Nude & Intimacy in the Bedroom Sleep Statistics
Sleeping Nude
Overall, 9% of Americans report sleeping nude. The practice varies across demographics:
- Men (10%) are more likely than women (6%) to sleep nude.
- Baby Boomers are the most likely generation to sleep nude, at 10%.
- By state, Vermont (17%), Montana (16%), and Oregon (15%) have the highest share of residents who sleep nude.
Activities Americans Normally Do in Bed Before Sleeping
- 68% use a phone or tablet
- 56% watch TV or movies
- 34% talk with their partner
- 29% read a book
- 18% have sex
- 18% pray or meditate
- 17% have a midnight snack or drink
- 13% masturbate
Additionally, 27% of Americans say sex performance is one of the most important mattress features.
American Mattress Preferences in 2026
When it comes to buying a mattress, uncertainty is the norm. Two-thirds of Americans (66%) say they do not know what kind of mattress they are interested in buying next. Still, when respondents are asked about specific qualities, clear preferences begin to emerge.
The Mattress Characteristics That Matter Most
The most important mattress features to Americans are:
- Pressure relief (75%)
- Cooling (68%)
- Low motion transfer (40%)
The most common firmness preferences (on a scale of 1 = least firm to 10 = most firm) are:
- Medium-firm (6–6.5) at 35%
- Medium (5–5.5) at 20%
- Slightly firm (7–7.5) at 17%
The most common mattress types Americans are interested in are:
- Hybrid (40%)
- Memory foam hybrid (31%)
- Memory foam (17%)
“The mattress industry has spent decades trying to convince sleepers to spend more on increasingly complex mattresses and sleep products. But this data suggests that people are craving simplicity and a mattress that just works. The next step in sleep won’t be smarter beds, it’ll be about smarter boundaries.”
Derek Hales, Founder & Editor-in-Chief of NapLab.
Closing Thoughts
As Americans continue to juggle work, technology, and daily stressors, understanding how—and how well—we sleep becomes increasingly important. By analyzing real-world sleep habits at scale, this report provides a clearer picture of where sleep in the U.S. stands today and where there is (bed)room to improve. Better sleep starts with better information, and this data offers a foundation for making more informed decisions about rest moving forward.
At NapLab, we’re dedicated to helping you get the best sleep of your life in 2026. The goal of each of our guides is to aide in building healthy sleep habits and make your hunt for the best mattress as easy as possible. If you’re ready to take the next step in your sleep health journey, take our quiz to receive a free personalized mattress recommendation back within 24 hours.
Methodology
This study is based on an analysis conducted in January 2026 using responses from more than 50,000 U.S. adults across all 50 states.
The dataset combines 48,000 responses collected throughout 2025 via NapLab’s personalized mattress quiz with an additional 2,400 responses from a nationally distributed survey fielded between December 2025 and January 2026.
Fair Use
You are welcome to use, reference, and share non-commercial excerpts of this study with proper attribution. If you cite or cover our findings, please link back to this page so readers can view the full methodology, charts, and context.
