Ohioans have late bedtimes, don't sleep enough
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The average Ohioan isn't getting enough sleep, and the state's average bedtime is one of the latest in the nation, Apple Watch data shows.
Why it matters: Most of us aren't getting our recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night, which can affect mood and health.
By the numbers: On average, Ohioans go to bed at 11:47pm and get about 6 hours and 39 minutes of sleep — one minute less than the average American.
- Findings are based on watch data from adults who shared info with the Apple Heart and Movement Study.
What they found: Participants with the most consistent bedtimes throughout the week slept for 40 more minutes and spent 36% less time awake during sleep periods, compared to other Apple Watch wearers.
- They also averaged 57% more time exercising.
The intrigue: Only three states, plus Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., fall asleep later on average than Ohio.
The big picture: Ohio's geography could help explain, says Brian Chen of the Cleveland Clinic Sleep Disorders Center.
- Chen hypothesizes that because the sun sets later in states on the western edge of their time zone, residents' circadian rhythms are likely tied to that later sunset.
- Six of the 10 latest sleep times come from states that fit that geographic description, he noted.
Between the lines: Chen says our night owl tendencies are "not at all" a problem on their own.
Yes, but: The lack of sleep is.
- "The study's main conclusion is there is likely an epidemic in our country of insufficient sleep," Chen says. "How this lack of sleep affects our quality of life, our immune system, our productivity, and our mood is readily observed in our daily interactions and perhaps within ourselves."
- "I fear our sleep crisis has become our culture."
😴 Worthy of your time: How to get more sleep.