F.D. Flam, Columnist

Why We're So Exhausted If We're Spending More Time in Bed

A couple of new surveys show curious results: Americans are sleeping longer but report feeling less rested.

Awake, again?

Photographer: Hulton Archive/Getty Images/Archive Photos
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Americans have started sleeping more than any time in the last 20 years, says a new survey of the way we use time. But wait — a new Gallup poll says we’re more stressed and sleeping less. Can both headlines be right?

A closer look shows that the pandemic precipitated a seismic shift in time use for some of us, but it didn’t change a longstanding national sleep problem. The people with the most grueling, sleep-killing jobs didn’t reap any of the post-pandemic sleep bonus. Others are spending more time in bed, but tossing and turning.