What to Know
- Residents of Newark, Yonkers and New York City get some of the worst sleep in the country, according to a new report
- The report looks at how factors like construction noise, commute times and light pollution affect residents' sleep in 150 U.S. cities
- Many of the places for good sleep were in the West, though the second-worst city for sleep was surprisingly Honolulu; Detroit was number one
Tri-state cities have some of the most restless sleepers in the country, according to a new report likely to resonate with anyone who has had to deal with a noisy upstairs neighbor or a ceaseless construction project next door.
Across the U.S. people are getting less sleep than ever before; the CDC says more than a third of Americans don’t get the recommended 7 to 8 hours each night. But a new report by the Tuck Sleep Foundation says some cities fare better than others, and New York City and Newark are among the worst in the U.S.
To determine the best and worst cities for sleep, Tuck looked at how cities rank on different factors related to sleep, including sleep deprivation, commute time, air quality, light pollution, ongoing construction and obesity and unemployment rates.
Using those factors, it was determined that the best larger cities for sleep are, in descending order: Lincoln, Nebraska; Portland, Oregon; Boise, Idaho; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and Colorado Springs. Like many cities in the best sleep category, those cities are in the West.
No tri-state cities cracked the top 130 “best cities for sleep” and New York (at 131 of 150 cities) was among the worst places in the country for sleep, according to the report.
“The city that never sleeps” was only topped by the tri-state cities of Yonkers (132), Jersey City (141) and Newark (148) for poor quality of sleep.
Local
The report pointed blame at New York’s never-ending construction, high pollution, and above-average obesity and unemployment rates for the poor quality of sleep. New Yorkers also have the worst average commute time of any city-dweller, according to data reviewed by Tuck.
Newark vied only with Honolulu (the second worst) and Detroit (the worst) for bad sleep. The report blamed air pollution, light pollution, high commute times, and above-average unemployment and obesity rates for the poor sleep. Nearly half of Newark residents consistently get less than 7 hours of sleep, the report says.
Rochester and Buffalo were also among the worst cities in the nation for sleep, according to the report. No cities from Connecticut were on the list.
For a list of all 150 cities surveyed, click here.
