Rough night: Study says Columbus citizens have worse sleep than those in other cities

When you get out of bed in the morning, do you feel groggy? Do you have trouble drifting off, even after a long day of work?

You're probably not alone. According to a study by the Tuck Sleep Foundation, a sleep-health advocacy group based in Seattle, Columbus ranks among the worst cities for sleep.

"A variety of factors impact how well we sleep, from our personal health and happiness to environmental factors like air and noise pollution. Each person is different," the authors of the study wrote on their website. "We ranked the top 150 cities in the U.S. to find the best and worst cities for sleep."

Out of those 150 cities analyzed, Columbus stumbled out of bed at number 138.

The worst city for sleep was Detroit, Mich., and the best was Overland Park, Kan., the study found. Atlanta fared a little better than Columbus, but not by much. Augusta, Ga., ranked worse.

Here's how the group says it figured all of this out:

The group looked at seven different factors in each city - percentage of citizens who reported sleeping less than the recommended 7-8 hours a day, obesity rates, unemployment rates, average commute time, air quality, light pollution and the rate of ongoing construction.

In 2014, the Centers for Disease Control found that more than a third of Americans don't get sufficient sleep, with citizens of counties in the southeastern U.S. and Appalachia reporting the lowest levels of sleep. That was a major source of data in the study. About 43 percent of Columbus citizens don't get enough sleep, according to those results.

"The average adult requires 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. Unfortunately, much of America doesn’t achieve that, due to poor health, increased work and family obligations, and emotional factors like anxiety and depression," the study authors wrote.

Obesity is a health factor that can lead to poor health, and therefore poor sleep, so the study authors took obesity rates into account as well.

But there are other, external factors that can affect a good night's sleep too. When you're unemployed, it can lead to stress and depression, which leads to insomnia. "Just like physical health, being emotionally healthy can significantly impact your ability to sleep well," the authors wrote.

And when you do have a job, the length of your morning commute can take a bite out of the time you could otherwise be sleeping. The authors took this into account.

Air pollution, light pollution (the prevalence of distracting lights that can interfere with the body's natural sleep/wake rhythms) and ongoing, loud construction can all also affect sleep.

The study authors took all these factors into account too, analyzing air pollution data from the American Lung Association, light pollution rankings from the Dark Sky Association and whether there was consistent heavy, ongoing construction in the area, they wrote.

This story was originally published December 21, 2017 at 11:42 AM with the headline "Rough night: Study says Columbus citizens have worse sleep than those in other cities."