Life satisfaction was associated with recommended sleep duration, infrequent insomnia symptoms, and restorative sleep among U.S. adults, with associations not modified by age, sex, race, or ethnicity.
Key Findings
Results
The vast majority of U.S. adults in this nationally representative sample reported life satisfaction, with prevalence ranging across demographic groups.
Among 25,090 adults, 96.0% reported life satisfaction ('very satisfied/satisfied')
Mean age of the sample was 48.1 ± 0.17 years; 54% were women
Life satisfaction prevalence was comparable across age groups: 18–30 years (96.6%), 31–49 years (96.4%), and ≥50 years (95.0%)
Prevalence among men and women was identical at 95.6% each
Prevalence by race and ethnicity ranged from 93.9% (non-Hispanic multiracial/other) to 98.0% (non-Hispanic Asian)
Results
Life satisfaction was significantly associated with recommended sleep duration (≥7 hours) compared to short sleep duration (<7 hours).
Adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) for recommended sleep duration among those with life satisfaction vs. dissatisfaction was 1.14 (95% CI: 1.07–1.21)
Sleep duration was defined as 'recommended' (≥7 h) vs. 'short' (<7 h)
Analysis used survey-weighted Poisson regression with robust variance adjusting for confounders
The association remained even after further adjustment
Results
Life satisfaction was significantly associated with infrequent insomnia symptoms.
aPR for infrequent insomnia symptoms among those with life satisfaction vs. dissatisfaction was 1.25 (95% CI: 1.16–1.33)
Infrequent insomnia symptoms were defined as difficulty falling/staying asleep 'never/some days' for both, vs. 'most days/every day' for either
The association persisted after further adjustment for confounders
Data were drawn from the 2022 National Health Interview Survey
Results
Life satisfaction had the strongest association with restorative sleep among the three sleep health dimensions examined.
aPR for restorative sleep among those with life satisfaction vs. dissatisfaction was 1.61 (95% CI: 1.45–1.79)
Restorative sleep was defined as feeling well rested 'most days/every day' (yes) vs. 'never/some days' (no) in the past 30 days
This association was the largest in magnitude of the three sleep health outcomes tested
The association remained significant after further adjustment
Results
Age, sex, race, and ethnicity did not modify the associations between life satisfaction and any of the three sleep health dimensions.
Effect modification was tested for age, sex, race, and ethnicity across all three sleep outcomes
No statistically significant effect modification was found for any subgroup
Subgroup analyses were conducted overall and by age (18–30, 31–49, ≥50 years), sex (men/women), and race/ethnicity
This suggests the life satisfaction–sleep relationship is broadly consistent across major demographic groups in the U.S.
Methods
The study used cross-sectional, nationally representative data from the 2022 National Health Interview Survey with survey-weighted Poisson regression.
Sample size was 25,090 adults
Life satisfaction was dichotomized as 'very satisfied/satisfied' vs. 'dissatisfied/very dissatisfied'
Prevalence ratios (aPR) and 95% confidence intervals were estimated using survey-weighted Poisson regression with robust variance
Analyses adjusted for confounders and tested for effect modification by age, sex, race, and ethnicity
What This Means
This research suggests that people who are satisfied with their lives are more likely to get adequate sleep, experience fewer insomnia symptoms, and feel well-rested compared to those who are dissatisfied with their lives. The study analyzed responses from over 25,000 U.S. adults surveyed in 2022 and found that satisfied individuals were 14% more likely to get the recommended 7 or more hours of sleep per night, 25% more likely to rarely experience insomnia symptoms, and 61% more likely to report feeling well-rested most or every day. Notably, nearly all adults in the sample (96%) reported being satisfied with their lives, and this high prevalence was consistent across age groups, men and women, and most racial and ethnic groups.
The findings also indicate that the relationship between life satisfaction and better sleep is consistent regardless of a person's age, sex, race, or ethnicity — meaning it appears to apply broadly across the U.S. adult population. Among the three aspects of sleep measured, feeling well-rested showed the strongest link to life satisfaction, suggesting that sleep quality and restoration may be particularly tied to how people feel about their lives overall.
This research suggests there may be meaningful connections between psychological well-being and sleep health that could be relevant for public health efforts. Because the study was conducted at a single point in time, it cannot determine whether life satisfaction leads to better sleep, better sleep leads to greater life satisfaction, or both influence each other. The authors call for future research to identify the pathways underlying this relationship in order to develop effective interventions targeting both sleep health and life satisfaction.
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Ogbenna B, Gaston S, Zhou W, Payne C, Jackson Ii W, Jackson C. (2026). Satisfaction with life in relation to sleep health among a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults.. Scientific reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-41318-4