Looking for a good night’s rest? You should head to this state

Those looking for a good night’s rest should head to the Golden State: new research found that Californians get the best sleep.

The survey of 5,000 Americans, split evenly by state, asked respondents about the average quality of their sleep, how many high-quality nights of sleep they receive in a week and the number of hours they average per night.

Looking at an average of those three numbers, respondents in California were found to receive the best sleep — but despite California coming in first, the rest of the top five was dominated by East Coast states.

South Carolina and New York came in second and third, respectively, with Maryland and New Jersey tied for fourth and North Carolina taking fifth.

Commissioned by Herbalife and conducted by OnePoll, the survey revealed there’s still a lot left to desire when it comes to respondents’ sleep.

Despite coming in first place overall, Californians said their sleep only averaged six and a half for quality (out of 10) — and they spend just over half the week (four nights) receiving high-quality nights of sleep.

And even though experts recommend that adults sleep between seven and nine hours a night, those in California receive just over six and a half hours of sleep per night.

Regardless of where they live, 55% of respondents can’t remember the last time they had a “perfect night” of sleep — and 78% can’t recall when they last had a “perfect week” of sleep.

While “perfect” sleep might not be attainable, the survey also asked respondents if they know how to get a good night’s sleep: something less than half (48%) said yes to.

Even then, respondents admit to watching TV (66%) or scrolling through their phone for an extended period of time — either on social media (38%) or otherwise (29%) — in the two hours before bed, activities which aren’t recommended ahead of sleeping.

Californians were slightly better than average, which might be why their state came out as No. 1 for overall sleep. Only 54% watch TV before bed, while 32% scroll through social media and a quarter (25%) do something else on their phone before falling asleep.

“The unfortunate truth is the blue light from TVs, phones and digital devices unequivocally impairs sleep quality. Even if you’re able to fall asleep, the quality of sleep is reduced and your brain biology is disrupted,” said John Heiss, Ph.D., vice president of Global Product Innovation at Herbalife. “The additional problem with blue light is that it disrupts your circadian rhythm, which controls mood, organ function and metabolism. If you’re experiencing food cravings, blue light may be the culprit.”

Seventy-eight percent of respondents said they’re trying to improve their sleep in 2024.

This involves making their bedtime and morning routines more consistent (44%), taking time away from screens before bed (39%) and eating less in the evening before bed (30%).