Second Biggest Problem for Unemployed Americans: Sleep

A new Consumer Reports survey uncovers a big problem for the millions of Americans looking for work: sleep.  In fact, according to the study, the most common problem for the unemployed other than finding a job is getting a good night’s rest.

According to a new survey of Consumer Reports’ readers, unemployed respondents were more likely to say they had trouble falling and staying asleep than those with jobs.  Of those who said they had trouble falling asleep, one in three woke up three or more times during a typical night. When problem sleepers were asked what was keeping them up at night, “work-related stress” was the most common response (47 percent) followed by health problems (28 percent) and financial woes (22 percent).

“For most people, getting to sleep isn’t as much of an issue as staying asleep is,” said Jamie Hirsh, senior associate editor for Consumer Reports. “Some readers found great success with medication and others said that changes in their lifestyle helped them to sleep through the night.”

The complete results of Consumer Reports’ survey about sleep problems and treatments, along with findings from its new survey on mattress satisfaction, can be found online at www.ConsumerReports.org and in the August issue of Consumer Reports, which hits newsstands on Thursday, July 5.