Breaking Report: The Impact of National Politics on Sleep Health
Media Contact:
Stephanie Kohn
skohn@theNSF.org
Breaking Report: The Impact of Current National Politics on Population Sleep Health
National Sleep Foundation’s Analysis of Americans’ Sleep during the 2024 Presidential Election
Washington, D.C. (October 29, 2024) – The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) today released a breaking report analyzing the impact of the presidential election on the nation’s sleep health. 17% of all adults—estimated to represent a striking 45 million Americans—said the election negatively impacted their sleep.
Adults who reported a negative impact on their sleep due to the election had shorter weekend (or non-workday) sleep durations and poorer self-reported sleep quality than adults who did not report a negative impact of the presidential election. The negative impact of the 2024 presidential election on sleep was sweeping and observed across all groups and was not different across political party affiliation.
“The dynamics of stressful societal events like elections and election day, can adversely affect the public’s mood, and in turn sleep health, which is critical for health and well-being,” said Joseph Dzierzewski, Senior Vice President, Research and Scientific Affairs, NSF. “This reinforces the importance of addressing sleep health during periods of high stress.”
Recognizing and practicing healthy sleep behaviors, such as those in National Sleep Foundation’s Best Slept Self® framework, may help buffer against effects of sleep disruptions. Additionally, with nearly one in five U.S. adults during the 2024 presidential election reporting its negative impact on their sleep, presidential candidates, campaign managers, and mass media journalists should consider unintended public health consequences when designing and executing campaign tactics or providing campaign coverage and analysis which could have negative effects on sleep health, broader health, well-being, and safety.
For more sleep health information, visit www.theNSF.org.
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About the National Sleep Foundation
The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health and well-being through sleep education and advocacy. Founded in 1990, the NSF is committed to advancing excellence in sleep health theory, research and practice. theNSF.org │SleepHealthJournal.org