Tokyo residents face a trade-off between home size and commute time when it comes to sleep health. A new study shows longer commutes increase both insomnia and daytime sleepiness, while smaller housing also raises insomnia risk. Even with average-sized homes, commuting more than 52 minutes pushed people into the insomnia range. Researchers say smarter housing planning could improve both sleep and quality of life.
FULL STORY
Researchers found that long commutes and small housing sizes significantly increase insomnia among Tokyo residents. The study highlights a trade-off between space and time that shapes sleep health. Credit: Shutterstock
One-third of our lives is spent sleeping, yet 30 to 40 percent of adults are reported to experience some form of insomnia. Japan in particular has the lowest sleep duration among the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, falling at one hour below average.
Public health research has identified long commutes, noise, and light pollution from densely populated living environments as factors that impair sleep. While such metropolitan housing offers advantages in commuting time, its livability is far less than the suburbs. To find a balance between convenience and sleep, urban architecture research, which examines the relationship between housing location, size, and sleep health, could help answer the question of "Where and what size home should one have for better sleep?"
Seeking this answer, a research group led by Professor Daisuke Matsushita at Osaka Metropolitan University's Graduate School of Human Life and Ecology investigated whether commuting time and residence predict insomnia and daytime sleepiness among residents of the Tokyo metropolitan area.
Based on an online survey using stratified random sampling, commute time was calculated using a route search system derived from the mode of transportation and postal codes of participants' homes and workplaces. Insomnia and daytime sleepiness were assessed using the Athens Insomnia Scale and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. The team also examined whether these relationships persist after adjusting for demographic and socioeconomic factors.
Data analysis revealed that even after adjusting for covariates, longer commutes predicted insomnia and daytime sleepiness, while smaller housing size predicted insomnia. Further, a trade-off was observed between commuting time and floor area in cases of insomnia. For housing units meeting the urban-oriented residential area standard of 95 m² for a four-person household, commuting times exceeding 52 minutes reached the insomnia cutoff value.
"Housing choices and supply that consider the trade-off between location and size may help improve the sleep health of commuters and reduce sleep-related economic losses in metropolitan areas," said Professor Matsushita.
The findings were published in the Journal of Transport and Health.
Story Source:
Materials[1] provided by Osaka Metropolitan University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
Daisuke Matsushita, Xiao Xiong, Xiaorui Wang. Commuting time, residential floor area, and their associations with insomnia and daytime sleepiness among residents of the Tokyo metropolitan area: a cross-sectional study. Journal of Transport, 2025; 44: 102156 DOI: 10.1016/j.jth.2025.102156[2]
Cite This Page:
Osaka Metropolitan University. "Long commutes and small homes are wrecking sleep." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 30 September 2025. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250930034158.htm>.
Osaka Metropolitan University. (2025, September 30). Long commutes and small homes are wrecking sleep. ScienceDaily. Retrieved September 30, 2025 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250930034158.htm
Osaka Metropolitan University. "Long commutes and small homes are wrecking sleep." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250930034158.htm (accessed September 30, 2025).
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Tokyo residents face a trade-off between home size and commute time when it comes to sleep health. A new study shows longer commutes increase both insomnia and daytime sleepiness, while smaller housing also raises insomnia risk. Even with average-sized homes, commuting more than 52 minutes pushed people into the insomnia range. Researchers say smarter housing planning could improve both sleep and quality of life.
FULL STORY
Researchers found that long commutes and small housing sizes significantly increase insomnia among Tokyo residents. The study highlights a trade-off between space and time that shapes sleep health. Credit: Shutterstock
One-third of our lives is spent sleeping, yet 30 to 40 percent of adults are reported to experience some form of insomnia. Japan in particular has the lowest sleep duration among the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, falling at one hour below average.
Public health research has identified long commutes, noise, and light pollution from densely populated living environments as factors that impair sleep. While such metropolitan housing offers advantages in commuting time, its livability is far less than the suburbs. To find a balance between convenience and sleep, urban architecture research, which examines the relationship between housing location, size, and sleep health, could help answer the question of "Where and what size home should one have for better sleep?"
Seeking this answer, a research group led by Professor Daisuke Matsushita at Osaka Metropolitan University's Graduate School of Human Life and Ecology investigated whether commuting time and residence predict insomnia and daytime sleepiness among residents of the Tokyo metropolitan area.
Based on an online survey using stratified random sampling, commute time was calculated using a route search system derived from the mode of transportation and postal codes of participants' homes and workplaces. Insomnia and daytime sleepiness were assessed using the Athens Insomnia Scale and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. The team also examined whether these relationships persist after adjusting for demographic and socioeconomic factors.
Data analysis revealed that even after adjusting for covariates, longer commutes predicted insomnia and daytime sleepiness, while smaller housing size predicted insomnia. Further, a trade-off was observed between commuting time and floor area in cases of insomnia. For housing units meeting the urban-oriented residential area standard of 95 m² for a four-person household, commuting times exceeding 52 minutes reached the insomnia cutoff value.
"Housing choices and supply that consider the trade-off between location and size may help improve the sleep health of commuters and reduce sleep-related economic losses in metropolitan areas," said Professor Matsushita.
The findings were published in the Journal of Transport and Health.
Story Source:
Materials[1] provided by Osaka Metropolitan University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
Daisuke Matsushita, Xiao Xiong, Xiaorui Wang. Commuting time, residential floor area, and their associations with insomnia and daytime sleepiness among residents of the Tokyo metropolitan area: a cross-sectional study. Journal of Transport, 2025; 44: 102156 DOI: 10.1016/j.jth.2025.102156[2]
Cite This Page:
Osaka Metropolitan University. "Long commutes and small homes are wrecking sleep." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 30 September 2025. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250930034158.htm>.
Osaka Metropolitan University. (2025, September 30). Long commutes and small homes are wrecking sleep. ScienceDaily. Retrieved September 30, 2025 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250930034158.htm
Osaka Metropolitan University. "Long commutes and small homes are wrecking sleep." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250930034158.htm (accessed September 30, 2025).
Mar. 19, 2025 For women in their 80s, experiencing increasing sleepiness during the day over a five-year period is associated with double the risk of developing dementia during that time, according to a new study. ...
Mar. 6, 2023 Adding to the growing body of evidence on sleep disturbances and cognitive impairment, new research finds significant links between three measures of sleep disturbance and the risk for developing ...
Feb. 24, 2023 People who suffer from insomnia were 69% more likely to have a heart attack compared to those who didn't have the sleep disorder during an average nine years of follow-up, according to new ...
Sep. 12, 2022 Investigators have designed a study that simulated night work and then tested the effects of daytime and nighttime eating versus daytime eating only. The team found that, among participants in the ...
Aug. 4, 2022 The pandemic has called attention to an issue that nursing home residents, their families and those who work in nursing homes have been aware of for a long time. Recruiting and retaining both the ...
Nov. 16, 2020 Healthy sleep habits are associated with a lower risk of heart failure. Adults with the healthiest sleep patterns (morning risers, sleeping 7-8 hours a day and no frequent insomnia, snoring or ...
