wellness
Why people are sleeping worse and what to do about it
Belleville residents report shorter, more fragmented rest as work patterns and evening screen habits persist into 2026.
How we reported this
A Belleville Health Department survey released last month found 68 percent of adults in the city now rate their sleep quality as worse than in 2021.
The change shows up in daily routines across downtown Belleville and the Riverside District. Longer commutes after hybrid schedules took hold, combined with phones and tablets left on bedside tables, keep many residents awake past midnight. Local pharmacists note rising sales of over-the-counter melatonin since spring.
Local programs track the shift
Staff at the Belleville Recreation Center on River Street have added two extra evening mindfulness sessions each week after attendance at the Active Wellness Program jumped 40 percent since January. Across town, the Riverside Neighborhood Association began its Lights Out campaign on June 12, asking households along Elm Avenue to turn off porch lights by 10 p.m. to reduce light pollution that reaches bedroom windows.
These efforts come as the 2025 Belleville Sleep Study, published in March, recorded average nightly sleep at 5.9 hours, down from 7.2 hours five years earlier. The same report listed a 25 percent increase in purchases of sleep-related products at three pharmacies on Main Street.
Small changes that add up
Residents who want to improve rest can start with a consistent cutoff for screens one hour before bed. The Belleville Public Library will hold free sleep-hygiene workshops on July 15 and July 22 at its downtown branch. Walking groups that meet at Belleville Riverwalk at 7 a.m. have also reported better daytime energy among participants who keep earlier bedtimes.
City health officials plan to release updated guidance next quarter based on follow-up calls to the same households surveyed in May. In the meantime, the Recreation Center offers printed checklists at its front desk that outline simple bedroom adjustments, from blackout curtains to temperature settings around 65 degrees.