Inflation's grip is unyielding, unemployment is ticking upward, and even Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has acknowledged the brutal job market for recent Gen Z graduates. But the youngest workers don't need telling—they're living it, with economic jitters so intense they're literally losing sleep over it.
Counterintuitively, their response? Hunkering down in bed, binge-watching TV, and letting the hours slip away.
A fresh analysis from mattress brand Amerisleep dives into how economic pressures are wrecking American sleep habits. Nearly half of the respondents confessed to sleepless nights fueled by money woes. The same share reported worse rest since President Trump's tariff hikes kicked in, with midnight wake-ups becoming a grim routine as economy-fueled dread takes hold.
Gen Z bears the brunt: These future trailblazers are the most prone to financial fretting, with a jaw-dropping seven in ten tossing and turning over skyrocketing prices, rent spikes, and shaky job prospects.
Yet instead of diving into proactive fixes like budgeting or stashing cash in an emergency fund, many are chasing passive escapes via screens. Doomscrolling through social feeds—primed to amplify fears rather than soothe them—is rampant. So is TV zoning out. And one in three admits to "bed rotting": Lingering in pajamas for extended marathons as a stress-soother.
Breaking the Doomscroll Cycle—and Reclaiming Financial Confidence
Sure, these avoidance plays offer a fleeting illusion of control amid chaos. But dodging your bank balance for dopamine hits? It just postpones the panic, often letting it ambush you at 3 a.m.
The Amerisleep report flags a key downside: "It might ease the edge initially, but disrupting your sleep cycle leaves you more drained come morning."
The antidote? Front-load your fears with a dedicated "worry window" earlier in the day. Carve out 15-20 minutes to jot down anxieties and brainstorm fixes. Then, when they bubble up at bedtime, gently remind yourself: "I've already handled this."
Targeting doomscrolling head-on? Enforce a strict "phone curfew" an hour before lights out—or banish devices to another room to kill the urge. But don't stop at subtraction; swap in a soothing sub.
"Redirect that scrolling itch to gentler pursuits like cracking open a paperback, scribbling in a journal, or easing into light stretches," the report suggests. "Your mind craves a placeholder, not a void, to truly unwind."
Building bolder money vibes starts small: Nail bite-sized wins, like kickstarting an emergency stash or chipping away at a single low-hanging debt. Momentum snowballs from there.
Most crucially, get real with your numbers: Log income, outflows, debts, and savings for a solid month. "Swap guesswork and ghosts for facts—it strips away the terror of the unknown," the report wraps up. "Clarity turns financial fog into footing, dialing down that out-of-control dread."