Why Are So Many Sleepless In Detroit?

By Christy Strawser
CBS Detroit Managing Editor
Turns out, the city that never sleeps is getting more shut eye than Motor City, which is throbbing and thrumming all night.

The "Sleep In the City" study out this week from national research expert Bert Sperling found people who live in metro Detroit get less sleep than people in any other city in the country. The survey included 350,000 adults, who were asked how often they didn't get enough sleep.

So, what's getting in the way of our Zzzzz's?

Sperling's study found "higher (sleep) scores (in cities with) overall happiness and low unemployment."

"The cities that scored poorly on number of nights with good sleep also had low scores on measures of happiness," the study went on to say.

Ouch.

According to the study, Detroit earned the distinction as the worst place for sleep due to a low number of nights with good sleep, along with a high unemployment rate and a low happiness index.

On the other end of the spectrum, Minneapolis residents have the easiest time getting a good night's sleep. Residents reported having nearly 23 nights of good sleep during an average month.

"Other factors that helped Minneapolis clinch the title of best city for sleep were a high score on the overall happiness index, a short commute time, and low unemployment," according to the study.

The best cities for sleep were: Minneapolis, Anaheim, Calif.; San Diego; Raleigh-Durham, N.C.; Washington, D.C.; Northern New Jersey; Chicago; Boston; Austin, Texas; and Kansas City, Mo.

The worst were: Detroit, Cleveland, Nashville, Cincinnatti, New orleans, New York, Las Vegas, Miami, San Francisco, and St. Louis, MO.

Sperling's study was based on analysis of data from the Centers for Disease Control, along with data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau.