FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — A recent study by CountingSheep.net analyzed county health rankings and Google search data across the country to determine where the unhealthiest sleepers in America reside.
The study found that Arkansans rank in the bottom half for healthy sleep, checking in as the nation’s 21st-unhealthiest sleepers. In the past year, the data revealed that 37% of Arkansans have not gotten sufficient sleep each night, which amounts to over 1.1 million adults.
Based on Google search data, it was found that these insufficient sleepers searched for sleep medication online 132,000 times over the past year. This means that 12% of Arkansans who suffer from insomnia treat the condition with sleep medication, ranking the state’s residents as the 21st unhealthiest sleepers in America.
When this data was compared across states, Vermont ranked in first place for being home to the unhealthiest sleepers, where 39% of people with insufficient sleep treat their insomnia with medication. Comparatively, Ohioans ranked as the nation’s healthiest sleepers (6%).
The 5 unhealthiest sleep states in America were:
- Vermont
- Wyoming
- Alaska
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
The five healthiest states for sleep were ranked as follows:
- Ohio
- California
- Michigan
- New York
- Pennsylvania
An infographic containing results from the study is available here.
