Sleep hygiene statistics measure several different things: what adults include in bedtime routines, how those behaviors vary by age and gender, and what clinical trials find when sleep education is compared with broader insomnia treatments. The evidence below spans a 2023 U.S. survey, trials and reviews through 2024, and an older four-state U.S. sleep-sufficiency analysis, so the populations and periods should not be treated as interchangeable.
Key Sleep Hygiene Statistics
The most useful figures from the available evidence include:
- In the United States from March 24–29, 2023, 34% of 2,005 adults reported going to bed at the same time each night as part of their regular bedtime routine.
- In the same U.S. survey period, 30% of adults reported turning off electronics before bed as part of their routine.
- In the United States from March 24–29, 2023, 39% of adults reported a bath or shower in their regular bedtime routine.
- In the same survey, 29% of U.S. adults reported reading before bed.
- In the same survey, 21% of U.S. adults reported meditation or breathing exercises before bed.
- In the same survey, 20% of U.S. adults reported stretching as part of their bedtime routine.
- In the United States from March 24–29, 2023, 15% of adults reported an alcoholic beverage in their bedtime routine.
- In the same survey, 20% of U.S. adults reported smoking a cigarette or vaping as part of their bedtime routine.
- In the same survey, 19% of U.S. adults reported smoking marijuana in their bedtime routine.
- Among U.S. adults surveyed in March 2023, consistent bedtime reporting rose from 28% at ages 18–24 to 46% at ages 65 and older.
- In the same survey, electronics-off reporting ranged from 23% among ages 25–34 to 38% among ages 65 and older.
- In the March 2023 U.S. survey, 45% of adults ages 25–34 reported bathing or showering before bed, compared with 22% of adults ages 65 and older.
- In the same survey, alcohol before bed was reported by 19% of men and 10% of women.
- A 2025 meta-analysis of studies through September 30, 2024, included 42 randomized controlled trials involving 4,245 adults.
- In that meta-analysis, sleep hygiene education was associated with a pooled 3.4-point improvement in Insomnia Severity Index score from pretreatment to posttreatment.
- In the HABIT trial in three English NHS regions, 642 adults with insomnia disorder were randomized between sleep hygiene and sleep restriction therapy from August 29, 2018, to March 23, 2020.
- At six months in HABIT, mean Insomnia Severity Index was 10.9 with sleep restriction therapy and 13.9 with sleep hygiene alone.
- The HABIT economic evaluation estimated £2,075.71 per quality-adjusted life-year for sleep restriction therapy.
- In a Quebec randomized self-help trial, treated adults gained an average 21 minutes of nightly sleep after a multicomponent program.
- In the CDC’s four-state 2006 analysis, 29.6% of adults reported no days of insufficient rest or sleep during the preceding 30 days.
Contents
- Key Sleep Hygiene Statistics
- Sleep Hygiene Statistics for Bedtime Routines and Consistency
- Sleep Hygiene Data on Screens, Reading, Bathing and Relaxation
- Sleep Hygiene Statistics by Age and Gender
- Sleep Hygiene Statistics for Alcohol, Nicotine and Other Behaviors
- Sleep Hygiene Education Outcomes in Insomnia Trials
- Sleep Hygiene Evidence, Limitations and Population Sleep Sufficiency
Sleep Hygiene Statistics for Bedtime Routines and Consistency
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s Bedtime Routines Survey asked U.S. adults about activities included in their regular routines from March 24–29, 2023. It was an online, self-reported survey of 2,005 adults; the source reports a 95% confidence interval and margin of error within ±2 percentage points.
| Routine element | U.S. adults reporting it | Period and population |
|---|---|---|
| Bath or shower | 39% | March 24–29, 2023; U.S. adults |
| Same bedtime each night | 34% | March 24–29, 2023; U.S. adults |
| Electronics off | 30% | March 24–29, 2023; U.S. adults |
| Reading | 29% | March 24–29, 2023; U.S. adults |
| Sex | 25% | March 24–29, 2023; U.S. adults |
| Nonalcoholic beverage | 22% | March 24–29, 2023; U.S. adults |
| Meditation or breathing exercises | 21% | March 24–29, 2023; U.S. adults |
| Stretching | 20% | March 24–29, 2023; U.S. adults |
Source: AASM Bedtime Routines Survey. These percentages show whether a behavior was included, not how consistently it was followed or whether it improved sleep.
Sleep Hygiene Data on Screens, Reading, Bathing and Relaxation
The same survey provides a snapshot of common screen-reduction and wind-down behaviors, but it does not objectively measure timing, duration or sleep outcomes. Bathing or showering was the most frequently reported listed routine item at 39%, while meditation or breathing exercises and stretching were reported by about one in five adults.
- 30% of U.S. adults reported turning off electronics before bed, and 29% reported reading before bed in the March 24–29, 2023 survey.
- 21% reported meditation or breathing exercises, while 20% reported stretching during the same period.
- 22% reported drinking tea or another nonalcoholic beverage, and 25% reported sex as part of their regular bedtime routine.
Reported behaviors differed somewhat by gender. Men reported electronics-off routines at 32% versus 27% of women, and reading at 30% versus 27%; bathing or showering was reported by 39% of men and 40% of women.
The survey also reported meditation or breathing exercises for 25% of men and 17% of women, plus stretching for 21% of men and 19% of women. These are survey estimates using the source’s gender categories and wording, not causal comparisons.
Sleep Hygiene Statistics by Age and Gender
Age differences in the 2023 AASM survey describe cross-sectional routine patterns rather than a longitudinal change as people age. The published estimates show older adults more likely to report a consistent bedtime and electronics-off routine, while some active wind-down behaviors were more common among younger or middle-aged groups.
| Routine behavior | Lowest listed estimate | Highest listed estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Same bedtime each night | 28% ages 18–24 | 46% ages 65+ |
| Electronics off before bed | 23% ages 25–34 | 38% ages 65+ |
| Reading before bed | 20% ages 18–24 | 36% ages 55–64 |
| Bath or shower before bed | 22% ages 65+ | 45% ages 25–34 |
| Meditation or breathing | 11% ages 55–64 | 27% ages 35–44 |
| Stretching | 9% ages 65+ | 27% ages 18–24 |
Source: AASM Bedtime Routines Survey. The survey also found nonalcoholic beverage use at 25% among adults ages 25–44 and 14% among adults ages 65 and older.
The gender estimates show that routine composition is not uniform. Meditation or breathing exercises were reported by 25% of men and 17% of women, while alcohol before bed was reported by 19% of men and 10% of women.
Sleep Hygiene Statistics for Alcohol, Nicotine and Other Behaviors
Some reported bedtime behaviors are commonly discussed in sleep-hygiene guidance but are not themselves evidence of healthy or effective sleep practices. In the March 24–29, 2023 AASM survey, 15% of U.S. adults reported an alcoholic beverage, 20% reported smoking a cigarette or vaping, and 19% reported smoking marijuana as part of their bedtime routine.
Age-group estimates varied. Alcohol before bed was reported by 23% of adults ages 35–44 and 3% of adults ages 65 and older, while smoking or vaping was reported by 26% of adults ages 25–34 and 10% of adults ages 55–64.
Gender estimates were also different across these behaviors:
- Cigarette smoking or vaping was reported by 26% of men and 19% of women.
- Marijuana smoking was reported by 21% of men and 17% of women.
- Sex was reported by 32% of men and 18% of women.
The survey measured whether respondents included these behaviors in a bedtime routine; it did not quantify amount, timing, dependence, sleep quality or causality. AASM Bedtime Routines Survey
Sleep Hygiene Education Outcomes in Insomnia Trials
Clinical evidence is narrower than routine-prevalence evidence because it focuses on adults with insomnia and compares specific interventions. A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis included 42 randomized controlled trials involving 4,245 adults in studies available through September 30, 2024; 65.5% of participants were female.
| Comparison or outcome | Estimate | Population and period |
|---|---|---|
| Pretreatment-to-posttreatment ISI improvement | 3.4 points; 95% CI 2.08–4.64 | Adults with insomnia; meta-analysis through Sept. 30, 2024 |
| Inferior to CBT-I | 3.8 ISI points; 95% CI 2.92–4.76 | Adults with insomnia; pooled comparison |
| Inferior to partial CBT-I | 4.5 ISI points; 95% CI 3.33–5.60 | Adults with insomnia; pooled comparison |
| Inferior to exercise | 2.9 ISI points; 95% CI 0.81–5.04 | Adults with insomnia; pooled comparison |
| Inferior to acupressure | 1.9 ISI points; 95% CI 0.82–3.00 | Adults with insomnia; pooled comparison |
Source: Effects of sleep hygiene education for insomnia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The review judged 85.71% of included trials to have high overall risk of bias, so the pooled estimates require caution.
The HABIT randomized trial enrolled 642 adults with insomnia disorder in three English NHS regions between August 29, 2018, and March 23, 2020. At six months, mean ISI was 10.9 with sleep restriction therapy and 13.9 with sleep hygiene alone; the adjusted difference favored sleep restriction therapy by 3.05 ISI points, with 95% CI −3.83 to −2.28 and Cohen’s d −0.74.
HABIT follow-up data were available for 90.3% of randomized participants at at least one follow-up point. At six months, primary-outcome data were available for 80.1% of the sleep-restriction arm and 90.7% of the sleep-hygiene arm; effect sizes favoring sleep restriction therapy were d=−0.95 at three months and d=−0.72 at 12 months.
Source: Nurse-delivered sleep restriction therapy to improve insomnia disorder in primary care: the HABIT RCT. The sleep-hygiene comparator was a leaflet plus usual care, while sleep restriction therapy was multicomponent, so the comparison is not a test of one isolated bedtime behavior.
The HABIT economic evaluation estimated an incremental cost of £2,075.71 per quality-adjusted life-year for sleep restriction therapy in the NHS England context. The intervention had a 95.3% probability of being cost-effective at a £20,000-per-QALY threshold; this model-based probability depends on the trial’s costs, outcomes and threshold.
A separate randomized Quebec community trial assigned 192 adults with insomnia to treatment or no-treatment control, 96 in each arm. The multicomponent self-help program included sleep education, behavioral scheduling and cognitive strategies, and treated adults gained an average 21 minutes of nightly sleep, reduced nightly wakefulness by 20 minutes and improved sleep efficiency by 4% at posttreatment and six-month follow-up.
Source: Self-help treatment for insomnia: a randomized controlled trial. These outcomes should not be attributed to sleep-hygiene education alone because the intervention contained several components.
Sleep Hygiene Evidence, Limitations and Population Sleep Sufficiency
Population sleep-sufficiency figures help show the broader context, but the CDC measure is perceived insufficient rest or sleep days rather than objective nightly duration. In a four-state BRFSS analysis for 2006, 29.6% of adults reported no insufficient-rest days in the preceding 30 days, while 10.1% reported insufficient rest or sleep every day.
| Group or state | No insufficient-rest days | Insufficient rest every day |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 38.4% | Not supplied |
| Delaware | 27.7% | Not supplied |
| New York | 29.2% | Not supplied |
| Rhode Island | 27.7% | Not supplied |
| Adults older than 55 | 44.7% | Not supplied |
| Adults ages 18–34 | 21.9% | Not supplied |
| Retired adults | 53.5% | 5.5% |
| Employed adults | 24.0% | 9.9% |
| Unable to work | Not supplied | 24.8% |
| Unemployed adults | Not supplied | 12.8% |
Source: Perceived Insufficient Rest or Sleep Among Adults — United States, 2006. The four-state sample should not be generalized to current national prevalence, and the measure is subjective rather than a nightly-hours estimate.
Education differences in the same 2006 analysis also describe association, not an intervention effect. No insufficient-rest days were reported by 39.7% of adults with less than a high-school education, 33.4% with a high-school diploma or GED, and 26.3% with some college or a degree.
The CDC report identified adults unable to work as having the highest listed employment-status estimate for daily insufficient rest or sleep, at 24.8%. The report noted that mental-health, medical and disability explanations may contribute, so the employment comparison cannot establish a causal sleep-hygiene effect.
Taken together, these sources use different definitions: the AASM survey counts self-reported bedtime-routine inclusions, clinical studies evaluate education or behavioral comparators among adults with insomnia, and the CDC report counts perceived insufficient-rest days. Routine prevalence therefore should not be presented as proof of effectiveness, and older or selected clinical samples should not be treated as current population estimates.