This California city among 'worst places to sleep' in US: study
LOS ANGELES - If you're looking for a good night's rest, don't go to Fresno, apparently.
The city in California's San Joaquin Valley ranked among the top 10 worst places to sleep, according to a new study by US News & World Report's 360 Review.
Analysts studied the 50 most populated cities and scored them on factors including air, light, and noise pollution, as well as physical activity and short sleep duration.
The 10 worst cities for sleep health according to the study were:
- Philadelphia
- Miami
- Detroit
- New York
- Memphis
- Chicago
- Washington
- Boston
- Long Beach
- Fresno
The top five cities to sleep in were Austin, Raleigh, Fort Worth, San Diego, and Colorado Springs.
"[Where] you live can impact your sleep for the worse or better if you let it," Dr. Michael Gallo, sleep medicine physician at Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, told Healthline. "If someone lives in a busy city with more distractions, there are more temptations to delay your bedtime. However, if you suppress these temptations, then I think your sleep will be unchanged if your bedroom environment is cool, dark, and quiet."
He noted that high altitudes can also compromise sleep. Typically being at an altitude of at least 8,202 feet can predispose a person to central sleep apnea due to high altitude periodic breathing.
Cost of living, stress, work, and commuting may also play a part in the sleep habits of people in particular cities, said Dr. Steven Feinsilver, director of the Center for Sleep Medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital.