Lansing Adults Sleep Less as Screen Time Rises, Programs Help

Sixty-two percent of adults in Ingham County logged fewer than six hours of sleep on average during the first half of 2026, according to internal data shared by the Ingham County Health Department.

The drop tracks with rising evening device use and variable work shifts that have become common since many downtown offices kept hybrid schedules after 2024. Residents near Michigan Avenue and the REO Town neighborhood describe the same pattern: late-night emails, deliveries arriving after 9 p.m., and warmer summer nights that keep windows open to traffic noise.

Local programs tracking the trend

The Greater Lansing YMCA on South Cedar Street began a six-week sleep series in May that filled two cohorts within days. Participants track bedtime routines on paper logs and attend Wednesday sessions that end by 7:30 p.m. so members can test earlier lights-out times. Two blocks east, the Allen Street Farmers Market added a monthly wellness table this spring where volunteers hand out printed guides on caffeine cutoffs and light exposure, funded through a small grant from the city’s parks department.

Both sites report steady foot traffic from shift workers at nearby auto suppliers and hospital staff who finish between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m.

Evidence and next steps

A 2025 statewide poll conducted by Michigan State University Extension found that residents who reduced screen time after 9 p.m. gained an average of 42 minutes of sleep per night within three weeks. The same survey recorded an 18 percent rise in reported insomnia symptoms compared with 2022 numbers. At the YMCA series, participants pay $35 for the full course and receive a free blue-light filter sample for phones.

Health department staff recommend starting with one change this week: set a device curfew at 9:30 p.m. or walk the two blocks from the market to the riverfront before sunset. Residents who want in-person guidance can register for the next YMCA cohort that opens July 22.