We need more sleep!

Approximately 40% of adults in the US are not getting enough sleep. There has been an increase in conversations about sleep health, sleep hygiene, and self care over the last decade, but the statistics are still reporting less than enough sleep for adults. There is also an overwhelming amount of “hacks” out there for a quick fix, some more reliable than others. Some might suggest taking magnesium glycinate, while others will guarantee better sleep with meditation. With all the information, suggestions, and research available to us, why do we continue to report poor sleep?

From a mental health perspective, I’ve seen and experienced for myself the impact of sleep deprivation. We can become less driven to complete our daily tasks. We might experience some brain fog or forgetfulness. We might also feel the afternoon slump more intensely than most days. Quality sleep is not only connected to our physical health, like recovering from the day’s events, but also our mental health and processing stressors. 

When we don’t get enough sleep consecutively, the deficit continues. We might think that taking a nap or sleeping 12 hours on a Saturday will fix it. Unfortunately, chances are it won’t work the way we think it will. There can be negative impacts on our body’s natural clock, which can perpetuate other sleep difficulties.

Technology and screens

From a sleep hygiene (or “good” sleep habits) perspective, there is enough evidence out there to suggest that using screens and technology one hour before sleeping, will have a negative impact on your quality and quantity of sleep. How many times during the work week do you find yourself scrolling and then realizing that it’s been over an hour and you need to go to bed? Exactly… This time of day is most often our only down time, so scrolling feels like a reward. But is it actually a reward?

There are conversations happening about blue light and the impact on health and screens keeping our brains active after we shut everything down for the night. Our relationship with technology is changing everyday. This is more a part of our lives than ever before and it will likely just keep increasing. A common example is wearable technology for tracking our activity and sleep patterns. Technology isn’t going anywhere!

Mental Health 

There is also significant information emerging from research that suggests the deep, multilayered connection between sleep and mental health. For instance, going through difficult times or feeling anxious, your sleep might be impaired. Interestingly enough, according to a recent study, there is a correlation between poor sleep leading to or intensifying poor mental health. So when we think about it, sleep has a lot of power here. When we don’t get enough sleep, there is a chance that our moods might worsen or we might feel more sensitive to stress. And when we are going through a difficult time or are struggling with anxiety/depression, there is a chance our sleep will be negatively impacted.

This can happen pretty easily too, like having a bad day at work. You come home from your workday and you might ruminate on the day. Maybe think too much about how things unfolded. Or maybe think too much on how you could have handled the situation “better.” Then maybe that night you feel restless, so you might stay up later than normal. Or you might rely on distractions to keep your mind preoccupied. Then the moment you close your eyes to fall asleep, there it is again. You’re caught up in thinking about how terrible work was today and how much you don’t want to go back in the morning. This is too common to ignore.

Insomnia

Insomnia can be best defined as difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up too early. There is chronic insomnia, which lasts for at least 3 months, occurring at least 3 days out of the week. Also acute insomnia, which can last for a shorter period of time and can likely be linked to situational stressors. The current statistic is about 10% of adults suffer from insomnia, and for these folks their symptoms will likely intensify over the course of 5 years. 

This is a disorder, which means it has pathological specifiers and can have lasting impact on a person’s daily life. There are treatment protocols that have significant impact on quality and quantity of sleep for folks living with insomnia. So whether you are living with chronic insomnia or acute insomnia or even just a poor night’s sleep, there is help out there.

Treatments

The general consensus for suggested amount of sleep is between 6-8 hours for most adults. This can vary depending on the person and their situation. The need for sleep also changes depending on your developmental stage, like when you were an infant the need for sleep was much greater than today. 

Like mentioned before, you can find a half dozen suggestions or hacks for sleep in about 60 seconds, but how do we know that it will work? According to most sleep hygiene material, if you practice a sleep routine, there will be improvements in your sleep. This can be true for a lot of people. It will vary depending on the person or on the person’s individual stressors. 

Medication or supplements are also a big discussion of sleep quality. The effects can have measured results for some folks, but chances are there will be short-term changes, having less impact on the long-term issue. This should always be discussed with your primary care provider. 

For folks living with insomnia, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) continues to prove most effective. CBT-I has been studied and researched for many years now in the world of sleep health and medicine. Most importantly, the results are showing improvements with sleep quantity and quality. This treatment is a structured treatment that offers a lot of education on the importance of sleep, while also including specific outlines for clients to practice. The primary focus of CBT-I is: sleep restriction therapy, stimulus control therapy, sleep hygiene practices, and cognitive therapy. These treatment modules combined have been proven to help folks living with insomnia achieve better quality of sleep over the course of 4 weeks. 

CBT-I and education on sleep hygiene are great for many reasons, but I also think that accountability helps to keep the momentum going for people. As a clinician, watching folks meet their sleep goals has been more rewarding than I ever imagined. It’s a shared moment for us to celebrate their achievement. It allows for people to see their control in the situation, which can be validating and encouraging all around. 

Sleep is so important for our daily life. It’s also something that we might not prioritize. Sleep is a large part of my work with clients. I also can’t go a day without talking about sleep with my family or friends. I have a tremendous amount of passion for the subject and feel motivated to share with folks. I know what it feels like to get a poor night's sleep and have to function the next day. It’s a pain and can be the start of a bad cycle. 

So the next time you’re having a bad day, ask yourself, “did I get enough sleep last night?”

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See resources for more details & links: 

1- CDC. FastStats: Sleep in Adults. Sleep. January 31, 2025. Accessed June 26, 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/data-research/facts-stats/adults-sleep-facts-and-stats.html

2- Carlson S, Sparks C, Dzierzewski J … Technology use and sleep: An examination of population data from the National Sleep Foundation, Sleep Health: Journal of the National Sleep Foundation, 2026; 12, 496-503

3- CCI. Sleep: Looking after yourself. Accessed June 26, 2026. https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/looking-after-yourself/sleep

4- Dzierzewski J, Nielson S, Alfano C … Sleep health and mental health: A position statement from the National Sleep Foundation, Sleep Health: Journal of the National Sleep Foundation, 2026; 12, 531-536

5- Morin CM, Jarrin DC. Epidemiology of Insomnia: Prevalence, Course, Risk Factors, and Public Health Burden. Sleep Med Clin. 2022 Jun;17(2):173-191. doi: 10.1016/j.jsmc.2022.03.003. Epub 2022 Apr 23. PMID: 35659072.

6- National Sleep Foundation. Do I have Insomnia? Published December 1, 2020. Accessed June 26, 2026. https://www.thensf.org/do-i-have-insomnia/

7- Walker J, Muench A, Perlis ML, Vargas I. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I): A Primer. Klin Spec Psihol. 2022;11(2):123-137. doi: 10.17759/cpse.2022110208. PMID: 36908717; PMCID: PMC10002474.