In a new study, researchers found that getting the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep every night is a struggle for most people, but even those who do may not have the best sleep.
The study is one of the first to look at how multiple dimensions of sleep health change over time.
The research was conducted by a team from Iowa State University.
The team analyzed data collected from nearly 165,000 individuals from 2013 to 2017, as part of the National Health Interview Survey.
Over the course of five years, adults who reported at least one day a week with difficulty falling asleep increased by 1.43% and those reporting at least one day with trouble staying asleep increased by 2.70%.
This shows more Americans have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep.
The changes were independent of sleep duration, and difficulties were most prevalent in people with healthy sleep length.
While the percentages may seem small, the team says based on the 2018 population estimates this means as many as five million more Americans are experiencing some sleep difficulties.
Based on the National Health Interview Survey data, the researchers cannot say what is contributing to the worsening of sleep quality.
However, they say technology is likely a factor.
They explain that sleep duration combined with poor sleep quality can increase the risk for cardiovascular disease, and sleep quality can affect our overall wellbeing.
The team says how long people sleep is important, but how well they sleep and how they feel about our sleep is important in its own right.
Sleep health is a multidimensional phenomenon, so examining all the aspects of sleep is crucial for future research.
One author of the study is Zlatan Krizan, a professor of psychology.
The study is published in the journal Sleep Health.
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