HMN 2026: How Nearly half of adults haven’t talked to their health care professional about sleep

While sleep is essential to health, nearly half of adults (45%) have not discussed sleep with their health care professional, according to a new survey from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. The health care conversation gap is wider for women. According to the survey, women (49%) are more likely than men (40%) to have not discussed their sleep with any health professional. As a result, women are less likely to get specialist referrals, making women (9%) less likely to have discussed their sleep with a sleep specialist compared with men (21%).

“Sleep is deeply connected to cardiovascular health, mental health, immune function, and longevity,” said AASM spokesperson Dr. Indira Gurubhagavatula. “When patients don’t get the opportunity to address sleep disorders, the consequences can be serious. Insufficient sleep is linked to elevated risks of heart disease, depression, metabolic disorders, cognitive decline, and daytime sleepiness, which can lead to driving accidents, workplace errors, and inappropriate sleep episodes. Discussing sleep habits with a health professional is important for both long-term well-being and quality of life.”

Healthy sleep requires adequate duration, good quality, appropriate timing and regularity, and the absence of sleep disturbances or disorders. The AASM recommends that adults should sleep seven hours or more per night on a regular basis to promote optimal health. Despite this guidance, many Americans are falling short. In fact, nearly a third of American adults are not getting enough sleep on a regular basis.

“Sleep disorders like insomnia and sleep apnea are often underdiagnosed because medical conversations about sleep simply never start,” added Gurubhagavatula. “When health care professionals don’t ask about sleep, and patients don’t bring it up, disorders can go untreated for years. We encourage clinicians and patients to make sleep part of the conversation at their next health care visit.”

Even if you don’t have immediate concerns about sleep health, there may be valuable information about your habits or routine that is helpful for your health care professional. Here are a few questions to consider before your next appointment:

• Do you get the recommended seven or more hours of sleep each night?
• Do you wake up feeling rested and refreshed?
• Do you have trouble falling or staying asleep? For how long have you noticed this pattern?
• Do you regularly feel sleepy during the day?
• Do you snore? Or have you woken up in the night gasping for air?

These questions are important and can help health professionals diagnose a sleep disorder. Get more tips from the AASM on how to talk to your doctor about sleep. For more information about sleep health, or to find a local AASM-accredited sleep center, visit sleepeducation.org.