“The city that never sleeps” is getting more rest than you may think, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
That’s just one surprising finding in CDC data of tri-state sleep habits analyzed by NBC New York that pinpointed the best and worst places for the recommended seven hours.
The implications are serious.
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“Sleep is so fundamental, it really impacts multi-different systems” of the body, says Dr. Natasha Williams, a sleep expert at NYU Langone. ”We have seen a pattern as it relates to hypertension. … Mood, anxiety. There’s a strong relation with sleep disturbance and depression, as well.”
Three counties in New York City – Richmond, the Bronx, and Kings – rank as the most sleep-deprived in the region. More than forty percent report getting less than seven hours per night. Essex County, New Jersey is number four, followed by Sullivan County. New York County (Manhattan) is 14.
In the city, Williams is not surprised by the areas that report the least amount of sleep in each borough: Harlem, Morrisania, Brownsville, Jamaica and Mid Island. Sleep, she says, needs to be a public health priority.
“What are some behavioral interventions? What are structural interventions, as well, that we can think about the environment to improve sleep, particularly for communities that have been historically underrepresented and disenfranchised?”
CDC data shows sleep is better in the suburbs. Fairfield County tops the list, with only thirty-two percent of residents not getting enough shut eye. Hunterdon, Morris, Bergen and Sussex round out the top five.
