A new study published by the Sleep Foundation, investigated health metric data from the CDC and the U.S. Census to measure and compare the largest 75 cities in America and determine which cities’ populations were getting the most quality sleep. In addition to measuring the percentage of the local population that on average gets less than seven hours of sleep, the study also evaluated a total of five additional health factors that would help them further examine the quality of the health within each city to differentiate between cities that had ‘healthy’ populations that lacked sleep, and cities that had ‘unhealthy’ populations that lacked sleep.
These five health factors that were built into the study included:
- Lack of health insurance: The study considered that cities with larger populations that lack healthcare coverage are more likely to suffer from chronic conditions or poor health that could directly or indirectly impact their quality of sleep.
- Colon cancer screenings: Incorporated to act as a measure for voluntary preventative screenings, the study defines this metric as reflective of the local population’s willingness for regular medical checkups to ensure and maintain overall health.
- Lack of leisure time for exercise: This metric encompassed a local population’s ability to regularly partake in exercise and fitness; the study assumes a link between a city’s population not having enough time to exercise and a generally increased overall risk for heart disease, cancer, and other health conditions.
- Obesity: As expected, a local population’s rate of obesity is a direct statistic that can be used to measure the overall health of a given city’s population, it can also lead to an increased risk of sleep-related problems such as insomnia.
- Mental health: Measuring the rates of depression diagnoses to reflect the overall mental health of the city, this health metric once again has an impact on a population’s average quality of sleep as a known symptom of depression is restlessness and irregular sleeping patterns.
U.S. averages for sleep and all five of the health factors according to the study
- Less than 7 hours of sleep – 32.7% of the population
- Lack of health insurance – 10.8% of the population
- Colon cancer screenings – 72.4 % of the population
- Residents who have leisure time for exercise – 76.3% of the population
- Obesity – 33% of the population
- Depression – 19.5% of the population
Why did Detroit rank worst for sleep in the country?
Compared to the averages listed above, Detroit sadly measured below average in each of the categories of the study:
- Nearly half of Detroit’s population gets less than 7 hours of sleep – 45.6%
- A high rate of uninsured patients – 13.9%
- Lower than average rate of colon cancer screenings – 70.5%
- Less than average amount of residents have time for exercise – 62.6%
- Higher than average rate of obesity – 45.5%
- Above average rate of depression – 21%
In addition to the poor quantitative performance in the study, the qualitative side of the study also theorized that other factors, such as light and air pollution as well as socio-economic factors like the unemployment rate, also contribute to why the average Detroiter gets the worst sleep in the country.
Behind Detroit as the #1 worst city of sleep in the country are the following cities in order from second worth to tenth worst:
2 – Cleveland, OH
3 – Newark, NJ
4 – Cincinnati, OH
5 – Toledo, OH
6 – Baltimore, MD
7 – Buffalo, NY
8 – New Orleans, LA
9 – Philadelphia, PA
10 – Kansas City, MO
What cities ranked best for sleep in the country?
1 – Portland, OR
2 – Seattle, WA
3 – Minneapolis, MN
4 – Denver, CO
5 – Lincoln, NE
6 – San Jose, CA
7 – San Francisco, CA
8 – Omaha, NE
9 – Irvine, CA
10 – Austin, TX