Average Utahn loses 13.5 hours of sleep weekly during pandemic

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — On average, Utahns are losing roughly 13.4 hours of sleep a week since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic — missing out on almost two hours a night. 

This comes from a recent study from Ocere, reflecting what several other studies have found: Americans are getting less quality sleep since staying at home under lockdowns.

Not only are they experiencing poorer sleep, 26% of Utahns say their sleep cycles have changed in some way. These changes can be either going to bed later or waking up at different times. 

This sleep debt — or the difference between the amount of sleep you need versus how much sleep you actually get — can be caused by different reasons. 

While many blame working too late or traveling all day, 28% of those who work from home admit they drink too much caffeine during the day — surpassing what they used to consume while working at the office. 

Many Utahns say they have trouble sleeping because of worries, with 37% reporting pandemic concerns are keeping them up. Another 20% said it’s because they’re out of sync with regular sleeping habits. 

Roughly 18% of Utahns said it was money problems that robbed them from regular sleep — with another 20% blaming increased hours indoors as the culprit. 

Only 5% reported it was a lack of exercise that kept them up at night. 

Despite the hefty sleep debt Utahns experience every week, the state fares well compared to the rest of the country. The national average for sleep lost every week is 21.4 hours, compared to Utah’s 13.4.