How Has the Amount of Americans' Sleep and Leisure Time Changed over Time?

Americans' sleep and leisure time is increasing, with sleep time going up by more than five minutes per person per day from 2007-2010, and work time decreased by about 25 minutes per day. The average person sleeps for eight hours and 23 minutes per day. American men spend an average of 5.8 hours for leisure activities every day, and American women spend about 5.1 hours on leisure activities every day. The leisure activity that takes up the most time is watching television, with the average American spending about 2 hours and 31 minutes per day watching TV.

More facts about time usage:

• Part of the change in sleep and leisure time is because of increased levels of unemployment. People who are employed in the United States work about 7.5 hours a day on the days they work.


• Only about 16 percent of American women participate in sports or activities on any given day, as opposed to about 22 percent of men.


• Among the unemployed in the U.S., time spent watching TV accounts for about one-fourth of their waking hours.