Here’s Why Hawai‘i Residents Don’t Get Enough Sleep

A new study finds that Islanders get less good sleep than any other U.S. state. What gives?

Does a nap sound good to you right now? Don’t worry, you’re not the only one. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released a report on U.S. sleep habits that placed Hawai‘i dead last in the percentage of residents who get a healthy amount of sleep.

In fact, only 56 percent of Hawai‘i residents reported sleeping at least seven hours per night, significantly less than the national average of 65 percent.

Isn’t Hawai‘i supposed to be a relaxing paradise? We asked Dr. Roger Yim, medical director of The Queen’s Medical Center Sleep Laboratory, to speculate about what’s keeping Islanders awake at night. His theory: the stress of Hawai‘i’s high cost of living. “A lot of people have two or three jobs, and so they’re not getting as much sleep,” he says. “Add to that the heavy traffic, needing to start your commute earlier—it all cuts into your sleep schedule.”

If the effects of insomnia or other sleep problems are cutting into your day, Hawai‘i, Yim suggests consulting with your doctor; lack of sleep can contribute to serious health conditions including diabetes, obesity and depression.

Or you could move to South Dakota, the best-rested state in the U.S., according to the CDCP, with 71.6 percent of residents clocking the recommended hours of sleep.

This article appears in the April 2016 issue of HONOLULU Magazine.