Americans Are Tired, But Aren’t Doing Anything About It

Apparently America is tired, but doesn’t care to do anything about it.  According to a recent survey, nearly half of all Americans say they’re sleep deprived, and the majority of those 157 million Americans aren’t taking simple steps to get better sleep – even though they know simple actions can lead to more restful nights.

The survey, conducted by the Better Sleep Council, identified gaps in what people SAY they believe leads to better sleep and what they actually DO to achieve a good night’s rest. The Better Sleep Council also tested Americans’ knowledge of the mental and physical consequences of sleep deprivation.

Here are some additional findings from the survey:

• More women feel that they are not getting enough sleep (53%) than men (44%).
• Men are more ignorant to the affects of sleep deprivation.
• Close to one-third of adults (31%) always turn to coffee or caffeinated beverages as their way to make up for lost sleep.
• Less than one quarter of adults always use healthy methods like naps, breaks and going for walks to deal with sleepiness.
• Almost 80% of Americans agree that a lack of sleep causes problems like difficulty concentrating and increased stress.
• Yet, while recent studies show that a lack of quality sleep contributes to serious medical issues, less than 30% of adults strongly agree that lack of sleep contributes to memory loss (29%), heart disease (23%), strokes (22%), and diabetes (20%).

“Simple things like turning off cell phones, not eating in bed and sleeping on a comfortable mattress rank highest on the list of missed opportunities,” said Karin Mahoney, director of communications, Better Sleep Council. “Part of the problem is that people think they can push through their lack of sleep without negative effects. Men, in particular, are more likely to believe they can train themselves to function normally on less sleep, but studies show that just isn’t true.”

Source: Better Sleep Council