Kansans are in sleep debt, study finds. Losing an extra hour doesn't help

Losing an hour of sleep for daylight saving time on Sunday morning likely wouldn't have been as painful if Kansans — and most Americans — weren't already in "sleep debt."

A new study from mattress review site Sleepopolis shows that you are probably owed some sleep.

"Sleep debt" is considered "the difference between the amount of sleep that you need and the amount that you’re actually getting."

The average Kansan is missing out on 30.8 hours of sleep each month, according to Sleepopolis. The national average of sleep debt is 30.6 hours a month, or about one hour short of sleep per day.

And despite Sleepopolis' graphic of a check written out for 30.8 hours of sleep from Bank of Time in Dreamland, studies show that you can't "repay" long-term sleep debt.

To avoid recurring sleep debt, "Experts simply recommend changing your habits to make sure you get sufficient rest to live the healthiest life possible," Logan Block of Sleepopolis wrote. "Stick to a regular sleep and wake schedule, avoid caffeine and alcohol (especially before bed), exercise daily, and switch off electronics at least an hour before you go to sleep, keeping all technology out of the bedroom."

The study was based on the assumption that the average adult needs eight hours of sleep per night.

To see how much sleep debt other state residents are in, change the state name on the check below:

This story was originally published March 11, 2018 at 7:16 AM with the headline "Kansans are in sleep debt, study finds. Losing an extra hour doesn't help."