Trends in sleep duration among U.S. population aged 15 Years and older, 2003-2024: A sociodemographic analysis of...

Healthy sleep is essential for physical health, cognitive function, and overall well-being, yet many U.S. participants do not achieve the recommended sleep duration. Sociodemographic disparities in sleep are well documented, but evidence on long-term population trends are mixed. This study updates national estimates by examining 2003-2024 trends in diary-reported sleep duration and assessing whether changes differed across key population subgroups.

We conducted a repeated cross-sectional analysis of American Time Use Survey (ATUS) data from 2003 to 2024, excluding 2020 due to COVID19, comprising approximately 239,930 person-days from individuals aged 15 years or older. Total daily sleep minutes were derived from 24-h time diaries. Survey-weighted linear regression models estimated changes in sleep duration overall and tested year-by-subgroup interactions across sex, age, race/ethnicity, education, income, marital status, and household caregiving responsibilities. Fully adjusted models controlled for all covariates.

Average daily sleep duration increased significantly over the study period, rising from approximately 8 h 30 min in 2003 to 8 h 55 min in 2024. Unadjusted models estimated gains of 1.21 min per year (≈25 min total), while fully adjusted models estimated 1.73 min per year (≈36 min total). Improvements were seen across most groups, with no meaningful sex differences in trends and unadjusted age-related divergence was attenuated after adjustment. Racial/ethnic differences in unadjusted trends were largely explained by socioeconomic factors. Higher-income and higher-educated adults consistently slept less, although disparities narrowed modestly. Co-residence with an elderly household member was found associated with persistently shorter sleep.

Sleep duration increased modestly over time, but socioeconomic and caregiving-related disparities remain.