A new survey has revealed that many U.S. workers are spending their vacation days catching up on sleep instead of traveling.
The report, conducted by Amerisleep.com, asked more than 1,200 Americans how they used their paid time off over the past year. Over a third admitted that they used some of their PTO just to rest at home. The rate was highest among millennials at 43 percent, followed by Gen X at 34 percent and Gen Z at 33 percent, while only 20 percent of baby boomers said they’d taken days off for sleep.
Experts say the trend highlights how burnout and financial pressures are shaping how employees view time off. Sleep coach Rosie Osmun explained that “rest has become a necessity, not a luxury,” while financial literacy instructor Alex Beene described the numbers as a worrying sign of a society that is “largely overworked.”
Rest days and sleep catch-up replacing getaways
Instead of spending time off on travel or leisure, the survey suggests many Americans are choosing to stay home, with most using two to three PTO days each year specifically to recover from exhaustion. Kevin Thompson, CEO of 9i Capital Group, told Newsweek that balancing work and family demands often leaves people “looking for a respite to recharge the life battery wherever they can.”
The findings also revealed that higher earners were more likely to use PTO for sleep than those earning less than $100,000. With travel costs rising and workloads intensifying, experts believe more workers may opt for staycations in the future rather than traditional vacations.
While vacations aren’t going away anytime soon, the survey shows that for a growing number of Americans, the most valuable trip they can take is from the bed to the couch.
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