Why People Are Sleeping Worse and What to Do About It

More Nashvillians report chronic sleep trouble this summer than in any year in recent memory, according to new figures from the Tennessee Sleep Society. The city’s busiest clinics – including Vanderbilt Sleep Disorders Center in Midtown and Sleep Nashville on 21st Avenue South – say appointments for insomnia and related problems have jumped by 19% since last July.

The timing is no coincidence. Summer brings longer days, sticky nights, and packed social calendars — but wellness professionals say digital habits and relentless city growth are pushing people further from a good night’s rest. With streaming marathons carrying well past midnight and off-hours work emails lighting up phones, more Nashvillians are trading precious sleep for screen time or gig work. And with surging newcomers driving up the pace — nearly 98 people moved to the metro area every day in 2025, per the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce — city life seems noisier and more restless than ever.

The Local Toll of Lost Sleep

In neighborhoods like Green Hills and East Nashville, local sleep coaches have seen first-hand the impact of these shifting rhythms. Sarah Lane, director of community programs at the nonprofit Nashville Wellness Collaborative on Charlotte Avenue, says demand for their weekly Mindful Sleep workshops has doubled since the spring. The group now keeps noise-canceling headsets and sunrise alarm clocks in constant rotation for attendees seeking respite.

Yoga studios are adapting as well. At Hot Yoga East on Gallatin Avenue, restorative yoga classes — designed specifically to aid sleep — have been booked solid for months. Studio owner Mike Jensen attributes the surge to “all the stress people are carrying home with them now,” from the economic squeeze to the ever-changing face of downtown.

The real numbers bear this out. According to fresh data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 36% of adults in Metro Nashville reported getting fewer than seven hours of sleep per night in 2025, up from 28% in 2019. For many, the cost is more than just feeling groggy: local sleep clinics charge upwards of $350 for a new patient evaluation, leading some to delay care in a city with one of the highest healthcare costs in the Southeast.

Building Better Sleep Habits

So, what can Nashville do about its sleep slump? Experts suggest starting with the “digital sunset”: putting away phones and laptops at least 45 minutes before bed. The Nashville Public Library’s main branch on Church Street has launched free evening classes on healthy sleep routines, covering light exposure, screen habits, and caffeine use. Registration filled up in a matter of days this July.

For those with persistent problems, both Vanderbilt and Sleep Nashville offer overnight sleep studies, though waitlists currently stretch to October. Meanwhile, local gyms like YMCA Downtown now offer pre-bedtime meditation classes—$12 for non-members—aimed at winding down after high-octane group workouts.

For lifelong Nashvillians and recent arrivals alike, the advice remains the same: make sleep a priority, build a relaxing bedtime routine, and don’t be afraid to ask for support. As demand surges, more businesses and public spaces across Music City are weaving sleep health into their wellness offerings. Whether it’s trading doomscrolling for journaling, or swapping late dinners on Broadway for a sunset stroll along the Shelby Bottoms Greenway, small changes can add up to more restful nights — and better days ahead.