Why Is Sleep So Elusive for Many Americans?
Sleep issues are far more widespread than most people realize. Roughly 70 million Americans struggle with chronic or intermittent sleep disturbances, and survey data shows that over 70% of U.S. adults do not get restorative, high-quality sleep — a much higher number than previously assumed. This means most people wake feeling depleted instead of replenished.
Several lifestyle and societal pressures contribute to this deficit. According to sleep scientists, five core factors consistently undermine sleep: lack of awareness about its importance, economic stress, demanding work schedules, undiagnosed sleep disorders, and shift-based or long-hour work cultures that disrupt circadian rhythms.
Ali Anderson, FNTP, explains: “Many people assume poor sleep is a personal failing, when in reality, modern life works against our biology. Sleep problems are often a systemic issue, not just an individual one.”
Technology adds another layer of complexity. Artificial blue light delays melatonin release — your brain’s signal to wind down. The National Sleep Foundation reports that nearly 90% of Americans use technology within an hour of bedtime, which keeps the brain overstimulated and delays natural sleep onset.
Mental health is equally intertwined with sleep quality. Anxiety, chronic stress, and depression keep the nervous system in a heightened state, making rest more difficult. The relationship is circular: poor sleep worsens mental health, and mental health challenges worsen sleep.
Ali Anderson, FNTP, notes: “When cortisol rises at night because of stress or rumination, it competes with melatonin. That’s why nighttime anxiety and fragmented sleep often go hand in hand.”
Understanding the Impact of Poor Sleep
Sleep is not a passive state; it is one of the body’s most active periods of repair. It is essential for memory formation, hormone balance, emotional stability, detoxification, immune resilience, and metabolic regulation.
Even one poor night of sleep has consequences. A 2018 study found that just one night of sleep deprivation cut programming performance by 50% among novice developers. Cognitive deficits like slower processing, impaired judgment, and reduced creativity affect all professions, not only technical fields.
Long-term trends are equally concerning. Only 26% of Americans got more than eight hours of sleep in 2023 — down from 34% in 2013 and 59% in 1942. Stressful lifestyles, constant digital stimulation, and cultural norms that glorify busyness all contribute.
Poor sleep impacts workplaces too. Fatigue reduces productivity, increases safety risks, and drives burnout. Companies are slowly beginning to recognize sleep as a workplace wellness priority, adding quiet spaces, sleep education, or flexible schedules to help employees rest more effectively.
Practical Steps to Improve Your Sleep Quality
Create a Sleep-Friendly Environment
A restorative sleep environment is cool, dark, quiet, and comfortable. Blackout curtains block light, white-noise machines reduce environmental sounds, and supportive mattresses promote deeper, uninterrupted rest.
Environmental cues are powerful. Small shifts can make your bedroom feel like a genuine retreat: soft lighting, clutter-free surfaces, breathable bedding, and calming scents such as lavender or chamomile. Houseplants like snake plants or peace lilies can subtly improve air quality and contribute to a more tranquil sleeping space.
Ali Anderson, FNTP, emphasizes: “Environment plays a huge role. Your bedroom should be a cue for rest. When it’s cluttered, bright, or overstimulating, your nervous system reads it as an active space rather than a recovery space.”
Establish Consistent Sleep Routines
Consistency helps regulate your circadian rhythm. Going to bed and waking up at the same times — including weekends — allows melatonin to rise predictably and supports deeper sleep cycles.
A personalized wind-down routine helps transition the body into “rest mode.” Consider:
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Light stretching
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A warm shower
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Journaling or brain-dump lists
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Five minutes of deep belly breathing
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Reading fiction or poetry
These simple rituals quiet the mind and ease mental tension accumulated throughout the day.
Avoid dramatic schedule shifts that confuse the internal clock, even if total sleep time remains the same.
Limit Exposure to Screens Before Bed
Digital screens emit blue light that suppresses melatonin and keep your brain in a state of “wakeful alert.” Limiting screens at least one hour before bed improves sleep onset and quality.
If screen avoidance isn’t possible, try switching devices to warm-light settings or using audio-only content such as calming music, sleep stories, or meditation tracks.
As Ali Anderson, FNTP, puts it: “Blue light is only part of the problem. The mental stimulation from scrolling or texting late at night keeps the mind active. Your brain needs a buffer period to decompress.”
Nourish Your Body to Sleep Better
Food is not just fuel. It sends messages to your body about when to rest, repair, and release calming hormones. What and when you eat can either support sleep or disrupt it.
One of the most overlooked factors in restful sleep is stable blood sugar. When blood glucose rises and falls quickly, especially after late night sweets or alcohol, it can trigger a stress response during the night. This often shows up as waking suddenly between two and four in the morning, feeling anxious or alert.
Ali Anderson, FNTP, explains: "When blood sugar drops too low during the night, the body treats it like a survival threat. In response, it releases cortisol or adrenaline, which can make you feel wired instead of relaxed."
To support deeper and more consistent sleep:
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Focus on meals that include protein, fiber, and healthy fats to help keep blood sugar steady throughout the day
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Avoid refined sugar, caffeine, and alcohol in the late afternoon and evening
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If you often wake up hungry or anxious, try a small protein rich snack before bed, such as a few pumpkin seeds or a spoonful of almond butter
How Technology Is Changing the Sleep Landscape
While devices can harm sleep, technology is also helping reshape how we measure and improve rest. The sleep-tech market is projected to grow from $11 billion in 2019 to $32 billion by 2026, reflecting a rising demand for personalized sleep data.
Sleep wearables track patterns, heart rate variability, and breathing. Smart alarms wake users during lighter sleep phases, and apps offer insights into how habits impact rest. These tools empower people to identify patterns — such as late caffeine, evening stress, or nighttime screen use — that compromise sleep.
Innovative research continues to evolve. A 2017 study showed that facial cues from selfies may predict fatigue, suggesting future non-invasive ways to assess sleep quality.
Addressing the Root Causes of Sleep Deprivation
Improving sleep isn’t only about better habits — it also requires addressing the underlying causes. Economic pressure, long work hours, and shift work disrupt natural rhythms and make quality sleep harder to achieve.
Public health organizations such as the National Center for Health Statistics track population-level sleep trends to guide policy and educational campaigns focused on sleep as a pillar of wellbeing — just as important as diet or exercise.
Sleep disorders are another major piece of the puzzle. Many go undiagnosed for years, including sleep apnea, chronic insomnia, restless leg syndrome, parasomnias, and circadian rhythm disorders. Proper diagnosis can transform sleep quality and long-term health outcomes.
Ali Anderson, FNTP, highlights: “When clients can’t sleep, I always look for root causes — blood sugar imbalance, micronutrient deficiencies, cortisol dysregulation, gut issues, and inflammation. Sleep problems rarely come from one isolated factor.”
Holistic care that integrates nutrition, movement, emotional wellbeing, nervous system support, and medical evaluation when needed tends to be the most effective path back to deep, restorative rest.
Final Thoughts: Small Changes, Big Impact
Better sleep is not only possible — it’s transformative. Deep rest fuels emotional stability, sharper cognition, stronger immunity, and balanced hormones. The mindset shifts too; life feels more manageable when sleep is replenishing rather than draining.
By improving your sleep environment, setting a consistent bedtime, reducing screen exposure, and addressing deeper stressors or health concerns, you can dramatically improve sleep quality. Progress rarely requires an overhaul — it requires one doable shift at a time.
Sleep is not a luxury. It is a biological necessity. Supporting it creates ripple effects across every area of life — work, relationships, mental health, and long-term wellbeing.
Ali Anderson, FNTP, puts it simply: “The body wants to sleep. When we remove obstacles and support our natural rhythms, good sleep becomes much more accessible.”
Start with a single, intentional change tonight. Your future self — clearer, calmer, more energized — will thank you.
