Short and long sleep durations are prevalent and associated with poor health. This study examined whether an individual’s self-identified sleep category (e.g., “short” or “long”) relates to observed sleep duration. The study also explored whether perceptions of sleep durations are affected by the presence of insomnia and whether self-described category predicts poor health above observed sleep duration. Data were from the Sleep and Healthy Activity, Diet, Environment, and Socialization (SHADES) Study, a community-based survey of 1,007 adults (22–60 years old). Sleep duration was assessed with the BRFSS item (sleep per 24h period) and the NHANES item (weekday nighttime sleep) for comparison purposes. Insomnia was measured with the Insomnia Severity Index. Respondents were asked whether they considered themselves a “Very-Short-Sleeper,” “Short-Sleeper,” “Average-Length-Sleeper,” “Long-Sleeper,” or “Very-Long-Sleeper.” Self-described groups were compared to groups derived from reported sleep duration (<7h=short, 7–8=normal, and >8h=long). Linear regression, adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and education, evaluated sleep duration differences across groups. Multinomial logistic regression, adjusted for covariates and sleep duration, examined whether insomnia predicts self-described group and whether self-described group predicts poor health. Overlap between derived and self-described category was modest, with only 62% of 7-8hr sleepers identifying as “average-duration.” Similarly, overlap for “short” and “long” sleep was 67% and 52%, respectively. This is in comparison to overlap between BRFSS and NHANES of 77%, 88%, and 33% for average-duration, short, and long sleep. Self-identified “very short sleepers” reported 93 fewer minutes of sleep, vs “average-duration sleepers” (p<0.0001). Similarly, “short sleepers” reported 44 minutes less (p<0.0001), “long sleepers” reported 55 more minutes (p<0.0001), and “very long sleepers” reported 101 more minutes (p<0.0001). Insomnia was positively associated with self-identifying as “very short” (B=1.19,p<0.0001), “short” (B=1.37,p<0.0001), “long” (B=1.07,p<0.0001), and “very long” (B=1.26,p<0.0001). Increased likelihood of being in poor health was associated with self-identified “very short” (OR=2.33,p<0.0001), “short” (OR=2.59,p=0.001), and “very long” (OR=3.64,p=0.006) sleep. Self-described sleep categories are associated with reported sleep duration, but imperfectly overlap with empirically-defined categories. Insomnia may contribute to perceptions of sleep category as abnormal. Self-identified category predicted poor health above observed sleep duration. R21ES022931.