Sleep is a luxury good: poor Americans get less than the rich

This chart shows a stark divide between how much sleep rich and poor Americans get. The less you make, the likelier you are to sleep less than six hours a night:

In 2013, 35.2 percent of adults below the poverty line reported getting less than six hours of sleep per night. Among those earning 400 percent of the poverty line ($47,080 for an individual and $97,000 for a family of four) or above, the number falls to 27.7 percent.

Overall, Americans tend to sleep less than people in other countries — including Canada, Germany, and Mexico, just to name a few other places. It's enough of a problem that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have called the lack of sleep in America an epidemic. This new data suggests that the epidemic's costs aren't borne equally: low-income Americans are suffering more.

(h/t Margot Sanger-Katz at the New York Times)

Will you support Vox’s explanatory journalism?

Millions turn to Vox to educate themselves, their family, and their friends about what’s happening in the world around them, and to learn about things that spark their curiosity. Financial contributions from our readers are a critical part of supporting our resource-intensive work and help us keep our journalism free for all. Please consider making a one-time contribution to Vox today.

One-Time Monthly Annual

$95/year

$120/year

$250/year

$350/year

Other

$

Yes, I'll give $120/year

Yes, I'll give $120/year

We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. You can also contribute via