Why People Are Sleeping Worse and What to Do About It

Aurora adults now average 6.4 hours of sleep per night, down from 7.1 hours in 2021, according to the city health department’s annual wellness survey released last month.

The drop tracks with longer commutes along Route 47, heavier use of devices after dark, and job demands that spill into evenings for workers at the tech corridor near Elm Street. Health officials say these patterns compound over months and leave people more prone to mood dips and weaker immune response during winter months.

Two local programs already track the trend. The Aurora Wellness Center on Oak Avenue runs monthly sleep audits for employees at nearby offices, while the Riverside Recreation District offers evening classes at its Maple Grove facility that combine light movement with wind-down routines. Both sites report waiting lists that have doubled since January.

Common disruptors in daily life

Screen exposure after 9 p.m. ranks highest on local questionnaires, followed by irregular meal times and caffeine intake past 2 p.m. A 2025 study from the Midwest Sleep Institute found that residents living within two blocks of lit commercial strips on Grant Avenue logged 28 minutes less total sleep than those on quieter residential blocks farther west.

Practical steps that fit Aurora schedules

Start by setting a fixed lights-out time and removing phones from the bedroom, a change several Oak Avenue participants said added 40 minutes of continuous rest within two weeks. The Aurora Wellness Center sells blackout curtains for $38 and rents white-noise machines for a $12 monthly fee. Walks along the river path before dinner also help, according to staff at Riverside Recreation. People who still struggle after two weeks are directed to their primary care provider for further checks.

City health staff plan to expand the sleep audit program to two additional neighborhoods by September, with free sessions at the downtown library branch on First Street.