Our sleeping habits can say a lot about our general well-being — our bodily health, our emotional state, even our relationships. The ways in which we restore, cope, and beat onward are often closely linked to our sleeping patterns.
With 2020 being such a challenging year, we at Casper, wanted to see how people slept their way through it. How did people adapt? What changed? How can we each improve our sleep in 2021?
We asked 1,000 US sleepers how every part of their sleep routines were affected since the start of the pandemic. We’re pulling back the sheets on our findings to let you know that however weird things have gotten for you over the past year with your zzzs, you are certainly not alone. To better dreams in 2021!
Intentionally or not, the pandemic led to shape-shifting sleeping schedules. We found that since March 2020, over 52.6% of respondents were going to bed later than usual or at inconsistent times. Also, about a quarter of people reported waking up later than they had before.
Once people went to bed, 68.9% of them reported curling up in the fetal position. (Perhaps we all just wanted to feel safe and sound as if we were in a womb!). Although the fetal position isn’t always recommended by sleep specialists, it’s common. If you’re a fetal-position sleeper who’s been struggling to sleep lately, you might want to sturdy up your pillow. The Casper Foam Pillow is a (literal) solid choice.
Having our lives change course overnight was stressful, to say the least. 30.3% of people reported that they relied on supplements like melatonin to help them sleep at night, finding the AM-to-PM wind down pretty difficult. We suspect that global circumstances alongside working from home, while managing childcare, petcare, self-care, and mental health, PLUS all of the incessant blue-light exposure from our computers and screens overwhelmed our poor, sweet central nervous systems.
Even reading that sentence was stressful, right?
Regardless of when they sleep, disruptions in consistent shut-eye were commonly reported. About half of respondents indicated that they struggle with feeling too hot or too cold.
A helpful fix to this is ensuring your mattress and sheets are breathable. That way you can lean into the potential for the perfect cooling effect. The Casper Wave Hybrid Mattress offers cooling features and the ultimate support that’s designed for people with physical discomfort.
Vivid dreams are no accident. While they might feel like a premonition or your life trying to tell you something, vivid dreams and nightmares are actually your brain’s attempt to process an overload of information as well as stress and anxiety. Seems fitting for a global pandemic, no?
Over the past year, 72.2% of people reported that they noticed their dreams were incredibly vivid. The increase in highly-lucid dreams can also be attributed to so little diversity and stimulation with our daily environments. When the brain is under-stimulated throughout the day, it overcompensates while we sleep as a form of coping.
While we can’t promise more stimulation and intrigue to your day, having a mood-setting ritual in the evening can help to promote relaxation and set the stage for a more peaceful REM cycle. The Glow Light is the essential portable bedroom accessory with adjustable warm light that winds down alongside you.
So much time spent at home led to elongated “us time” for couples. About half of our respondents said they sleep next to their partner, but the pandemic hasn’t changed much about their shared habits. (Love wins!) That said, a portion of respondents have tried sleeping in separate beds since March 2020. Take that for what you will.
A healthy sleeping partnership can be hard to achieve. Nearly half of the couples who responded to the survey indicated trouble with snoring and 16.7% said their partner hogged the covers. Although Casper has no immediate fix for loving a snorer (godspeed to you), we’re big fans of extra covers. A weighted blanket and additional duvets could provide a nice separate-while-together feeling in 2021.
All in all, we learned that people were resilient in their sleep last year much like they were all other aspects of life. We wish you the best of sleep in 2021! Keep up the good snooze.
Disclaimer: The data referenced in this article reflects the results of an online survey conducted by Ask Your Target Market (AYTM) in January 2021 across 1,000 men and women between the ages of 25-65 in the United States. Participants were compensated for their participation, but were not aware that the survey was being conducted on Casper’s behalf.
