One in six Americans expect to lose sleep due to holiday-induced stress

SleepBetter.orgDec 3 2009

The kids may be sleeping soundly this season with “visions of sugar plums in their heads,” but almost half of the nation’s moms and dads (44%) say they are worried about being able to afford the holidays this year, with one in six Americans (17%) expecting to lose sleep due to holiday-induced stress.

The findings are part of a national year-end survey – the SleepBetter.org Holiday Slumber Index, which measures the impact of the holidays on Americans’ sleep patterns. According to the survey, parents are most susceptible to sleep changes. Two in three (66%) of mothers and fathers, for example, say they will get six or fewer hours of sleep the night before gift-giving. And while 11% of households without kids say that holiday stressors cause them to lose sleep, more than twice as many parents (27%) indicate that this is the case.

“There are many ways that the holidays throw us off our sleep patterns,” said Dan Schecter, vice president of consumer products at Carpenter Co., and creator of SleepBetter.org. “Not only do the anxieties and excitement of the season have an impact on many people’s ability to fall asleep, but added obligations and the added busyness of this time of year mean trying to fit more into our days. And if you’re a parent, there often are not enough hours in the day. Ask most moms and dads what they want for the holidays, and it’s a good bet they have ‘a good night’s sleep’ at the top of their list.”

In fact, when asked what they look forward to most over the holidays, 6% of survey respondents said “sleep and rest,” which nearly tied with “giving/receiving gifts” (7%). (“Being with family” was the most popular response at 77%.) Two in five Americans (43%) say they do get a chance to sleep in over the holidays, while 20% say they typically find time to nap.

Among other findings in the SleepBetter.org Holiday Slumber Index:

• One in five Americans (22%) say they sleep better over the holidays, with almost three times as many women (13%) than men (5%) indicating that they sleep “worse.”
• About half of all respondents (49%) said they get six or fewer hours of sleep the night before gift-giving, but a total of 61% of Midwesterners report getting between seven and 10 hours of sleep on the eve of present exchanges.
• Hispanics are more worried about affording the holidays this year – 46% vs. 35% for the general population.
• While 43% of all respondents say they get to sleep in over the holidays, only 28% of those 55 and older do.