Professional News and Articles

Millions of Americans don't get enough sleep

November 4, 2009

Only one-third of adults say they are getting enough sleep every night, according to a new report from the U.S. government. Not getting enough sleep has been tied to mental distress, depression, anxiety, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol and certain risk behaviors including cigarette smoking, physical inactivity and heavy drinking.

“There is a relatively small percentage of people getting what sleep experts feel is an adequate amount of rest and sleep,” said Bruce Nolan, director of the sleep center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, who was not involved in the report. “That is a very important physical and mental health concern.”

Of the 403,981 adults surveyed regarding their sleep in the past month, 11.1 percent said they did not get enough sleep every day of the month. The report is published in the Oct. 30 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, a CDC publication.
Getting at least seven hours of sleep results in greater alertness, better work performance and better quality of life, Dr. Nolan said. “People who get too little or too much sleep are associated with more health problems, including work problems, performance problems and productivity problems.”

Researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that women (12.4 percent) were more likely than men (9.9 percent) to report not getting enough sleep. There were ethnic differences, with blacks (13.3 percent) saying they got less sleep compared with all other ethnic groups.

There were also geographical differences, which ranged from a low of 7.4 percent of people in North Dakota not getting enough rest to 19.3 percent in West Virginia.

The main causes of sleep loss are overlapping, but include lifestyle, occupation and specific sleep disorders, the report noted. Some 50 million to 70 million American adults suffer from sleep and wakefulness disorders.

In the past, many people thought that sleep was “a waste of time,” Nolan said. “It was to be avoided. And getting seven or eight hours of sleep was a sign of laziness.

“That kind of thinking is outdated,” he said. “We have lots of evidence that getting good quality sleep is associated with better quality of life.”

People who have trouble sleeping should seek the help of a sleep specialist, Nolan said. Also, your doctor should be aware if you are having sleep problems, he said.

The CDC offers several suggestions for improving the quality of your sleep:

• Keep a regular sleep schedule.
• Avoid stimulating activities for two hours before bedtime.
• Avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol in the evening.
• Sleep in a dark, quiet, well-ventilated room.
• Avoid going to bed hungry.