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Tuesday 16 april 2024
Only 26% of Americans say they get at least eight hours of sleep,

new Gallup poll says

Continued from front labor as well, like making sure
the house was clean.
Younger women, under the A through line of American
age of 50, were especially cultural mythology is the
likely to report they aren’t idea of being “individually
getting enough rest. responsible for creating our
The poll also asked respon- own destinies,” she said.
dents to report how many “And that does suggest that
hours of sleep they usually if you’re wasting too much
get per night: Only 26% said of your time ... that you are
they got eight or more hours, responsible for your own
which is around the amount failure.””The other side of the
that sleep experts say is rec- coin is a massive amount of
ommended for health and disdain for people consid-
mental well-being. Just over ered lazy,” she added.
half, 53%, reported getting Broughal says she thinks that
six to seven hours. And 20% as parents, her generation
said they got five hours or is able to let go of some of
less, a jump from the 14% those expectations. “I priori-
who reported getting the tize ... spending time with my
least amount of sleep in 2013. A traveler takes a nap as he waits for a ride outside Miami International Airport, Friday, July 1, kids, over keeping my house
(And just to make you feel 2022, in Miami. Associated Press pristine,” she said.
even more tired, in 1942, the But with two little ones to
vast majority of Americans ally heard of in 1942,” Fioroni hours in the day. So even Claude Fischer, a professor care for, she said, making
were sleeping more. Some said. “There’s almost nobody though she recognizes the of sociology at the gradu- peace with a messier house
59% said they slept eight or that said they slept five hours importance of sleep, it often ate school of the University of doesn’t mean more time to
more hours, while 33% said or less.” In modern American comes in below other priori- California, Berkeley. Their be- rest: “We’re spending fam-
they slept six to seven hours. life, there also has been “this ties like her 4-month-old son, lief system included the idea ily time until, you know, (my
What even IS that?) pervasive belief about how who still wakes up throughout that working hard and being 3-year-old) goes to bed at
THE REASONS AREN’T EXACT- sleep was unnecessary — the night, or her 3-year-old rewarded with success was eight and then we’re reset-
LY CLEAR that it was this period of in- daughter. “I really treasure evidence of divine favor. ting the house, right?”
The poll doesn’t get into rea- activity where little to nothing being able to spend time “It has been a core part of THE TRADEOFFS OF MORE
sons WHY Americans aren’t was actually happening and with (my children),” Broughal American culture for cen- SLEEP
getting the sleep they need, that took up time that could says. “Part of the benefit of turies,” he said. “You could While the poll only shows a
and since Gallup last asked have been better used,” being self-employed is that I make the argument that it broad shift over the past de-
the question in 2013, there’s said Joseph Dzierzewski, get a more flexible schedule, ... in the secularized form cade, living through the CO-
no data breaking down the vice president for research but it’s definitely often at the over the centuries becomes VID-19 pandemic may have
particular impact of the last and scientific affairs at the expense of my own care.” just a general principle that affected people’s sleep
four years and the pandemic National Sleep Foundation. THERE’S A CULTURAL BACK- the morally correct person patterns. Also discussed in
era. It’s only relatively recently DROP TO ALL THIS, TOO is somebody who doesn’t post-COVID life is “revenge
But what’s notable, says Sar- that the importance of So why are we awake all the waste their time.” bedtime procrastination,” in
ah Fioroni, senior researcher sleep to physical, mental time? One likely reason for Jennifer Sherman has seen which people put off sleep-
at Gallup, is the shift in the and emotional health has Americans’ sleeplessness is that in action. In her research ing and instead scroll on so-
last decade toward more started to percolate more cultural — a longstanding in rural American communi- cial media or binge a show
Americans thinking they in the general population, emphasis on industriousness ties over the years, the sociol- as a way of trying to handle
would benefit from more he said. and productivity. ogy professor at Washington stress.
sleep and particularly the And there’s still a long way Some of the context is State University says a com- Liz Meshel is familiar with that.
jump in the number of those to go. For some Americans, much older than the shift mon theme among people The 30-year-old American is
saying they get five or less like Justine Broughal, 31, a documented in the poll. It she interviewed was the im- temporarily living in Bulgaria
hours. self-employed event plan- includes the Protestants from portance of having a solid on a research grant, but also
“That five hours or less cat- ner with two small children, European countries who work ethic. That applied not works a part-time job on U.S.
egory ... was almost not re- there simply aren’t enough colonized the country, said only to paid labor but unpaid hours to make ends meet. q

Justice Thomas misses Supreme Court

session Monday with no explanation

WASHINGTON (AP) — Su- wise can't be there in person. says when a justice is out sick.
preme Court Justice Clar- Chief Justice John Roberts Thomas was hospitalized two
ence Thomas was absent announced Thomas' ab- years ago with an infection,
from the court Monday with sence, saying that his col- causing him to miss several
no explanation. league would still participate court sessions. He took part

Associate Justice Clarence Thomas joins other members of the Thomas, 75, also was not par- in the day's cases, based on in the cases then, too.
Supreme Court as they pose for a new group portrait, at the ticipating remotely in argu- the briefs and transcripts of He is the longest serving of
Supreme Court building in Washington, Oct. 7, 2022. ments, as justices sometimes the arguments. The court the current justices, joining
Associated Press do when they are ill or other- sometimes, but not always, the Supreme Court in 1991.q