(RNS) It turns out David Letterman may have the last laugh after all.
A new survey shows more Americans watch television an hour before going to sleep than any other activity, including sex, prayer or surfing the Internet.
The National Sleep Foundation released the 2010 “Sleep in America” poll on Monday (March 8), designed in part to measure differences in the sleep habits of Asians, African-Americans, Hispanics and whites.
An overwhelming 75 percent of African-Americans, 72 percent of Hispanics and 64 percent of whites report watching TV as the most frequent activity before bedtime. Asians were more likely to use the Internet or computer in the hour before bed (72 percent) and less likely to watch TV (52 percent).
African-Americans are the most likely to pray before bed, with 71 percent reporting praying or doing another religious activity, compared to 45 percent of Hispanics, 32 percent of whites and 18 percent of Asians.
African-Americans and Hispanics report the most active sex life before bed: 10 percent each, compared to 4 percent of whites and 1 percent of Asians. African-Americans also report the busiest schedules — 17 percent said they work before sleeping, compared to 9 percent of white Americans.
The poll surveyed 1,007 respondents between the ages of 25 and 60 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
