New Yorkers Sleep Too Little And Guzzle Lots Of Coffee, Poll Says

NEW YORK, NY — The image of the bleary-eyed, coffee-guzzling New Yorker isn't just a stereotype. Only a quarter of Empire State residents get enough sleep and more than 40 percent have to start their day with a cup of joe, according to a Siena College poll published Wednesday.

Nearly half of New Yorkers — 48 percent — get six hours of sleep or less each night, while half as many — 24 percent — get at least eight hours, the poll found.

"Older New Yorkers are more likely to get eight hours of beauty rest than younger residents," Don Levy, director of the Siena College Research Institute, said in a news release. "Residents between thirty-five and forty-nine and those with kids in the home are less likely to enjoy that full night’s sleep."

The lack of sleep seems to come with a need for caffeine. Some 62 percent of New Yorkers need a cup of coffee to get moving at least once a week, and 42 percent say they need some java every day. Some 60 percent of coffee-drinkers say they have more than one cup a day.

New Yorkers are also tethered to their cellphones, the poll found. Some 22 percent said they check email, text messages or social media right after they wake up, while 58 percent do so within an hour of waking up.

"It isn’t your imagination, virtually everyone is checking their email, texting or keeping up with social media throughout the day," Levy said. "Only ten percent of New Yorkers aren’t checking their digital footprint every day, and half of those are over sixty-five."

The Siena College Research Institute's findings are based on a survey of 802 adults in New York conducted over landline and cellphone calls from March 1 to 29.

(Lead image: Photo by archimede/Shutterstock)