ROCHESTER, N.Y. — In recent years, there are way too many things happening in this world that might keep us up at night. Sometimes it’s tough to get a good night of shuteye. Now, there’s one recent study that suggests sleep may come harder in Rochester than any place in the world. 

In the late-night hours of slumber, Shawna VanGraafeiland just can’t seem to find it.

“Sleep, what’s that?” said VanGraafeiland, of Greece. “I fall asleep, say 10 o'clock at night. Wide awake at two o'clock.”

Insomniacs spend those dark hours tossing and turning, as the clock ticks off the lost seconds, minutes and hours.

“Pretty much my entire life,” she said. “I can go days without sleep.”

Shawna has tried meditation and medication. None of it has worked. She is not alone. So she picks up the phone.

“I do, and I see a lot of the same friends who will be up,” said VanGraafeiland, of her late-night forays into social media. “And we start, you know, talking to each other, sharing memes, because what else are you're gonna do at three o'clock in the morning?”

If you believe one recent study, Rochester is the most sleep-stressed city in the world. Mornings.co.uk came to that conclusion by measuring stress levels in people’s sleep-related tweets. It’s certainly not scientific, but perhaps telling.

“I wonder if it has to do with our weather patterns,” said VanGraafeiland. “That is interesting.”

Dr. Alice Hoagland directs the insomnia clinic at Rochester Regional Sleep Disorder Center. She treats disorders like sleep apnea, as well as other physical, behavioral and genetic issues that keep people from getting a good night’s sleep.

“It's very common for patients to come in here and say it doesn't matter when I go to bed, I still wake up at six o'clock every morning,” said Hoagland. “And that's a good example of that conditioning that occurs.”

Regarding the claim that Rochester is the most sleep-stressed city in the world, Hoagland is skeptical.

“I saw that survey. Part of me is feeling like that might be a bit of a one-off,” she said. “On the other hand, maybe Rochester tends to be a little bit more stressed than other places, but I have a hard time believing it's only Rochester that stands out quite that much.“

Regarding those late night social media sessions, Hoagland has some advice.

“For as painful as it is, I will oftentimes tell patients, plug your phone in, in the living room and get yourself a clock,” she said.

VanGraffeiland says she even took part in a sleep study to figure out why she can’t sleep.

“Yeah, they just told me there was really nothing wrong with me,” she said.

It’s frustrating, and tiring, that often elusive search that keeps her, and so many others up at night.

“When you do get that night good night sleep, oh, does that feel good,” said VanGraafeiland.