Aussie sleep snapshot: sleep health in young adulthood in Australia

Objective: To provide an update on self-reported sleep health of Australian adults with a focus on young adults. 

Method: Participants included an online, community-based sample of adults 18 years (N = 995; young adults [ages 18–34; n = 285], middle-aged adults [ages 35–59; n = 82] and older adults [ages 60; n = 328]. 

Results: A significant proportion of Australian adults (26.9%, n = 268) report less than the recommended seven hours of sleep. Over half of young (54.7%, n = 156) and middle-aged (54.7% n = 209) adults reported three or more nights of inadequate sleep the previous week. Indicators of cognitive arousal and rumination were commonly reported factors impacting sleep among young adults. Young adults were 2.57 times more likely to report technology factors impacting their sleep compared to middle-aged adults (95% CI [1.69, 1.89], p <.001). There was a small significant association between age and number of days poor sleep affected productivity (χ2(4) = 25.96 p < 0.001, Cramer’s V = 0.14), young adults (34.4%) more affected than older adults (16.3%). 

Conclusions: Young adults self-report reduced productivity due to poor sleep health, with technology use and cognitive arousal and rumination, commonly reported factors.