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What are the sleep habits of working Americans? How do hours worked affect both sleep and ability to function while awake? How do sleep habits and problems affect performance in the workplace? How often do working Americans experience sleep problems or disorders? These are just some of the questions that researchers and analysts of the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) asked in their 2008 study/survey of Americans. It is no secret that increasing numbers of people are becoming obsessed, perhaps addicted even to sleep. If you check the newspapers or magazines these days, it isn’t that uncommon to see ongoing sleep studies that are looking for candidates. The truth is that Americans overwork themselves. We spend so much time doing other things and trying to pack as much stuff into our busy schedules that often, we will sacrifice our sleep in order to accommodate more things that we wouldn’t have time for otherwise.

The Importance Of Sleep

The 2002 NSF Sleep in America poll found that 74% of American adults were experiencing sleeping problems a few nights a week or more. Over the years, we have actually reduced the amount of time that we sleep, but getting a restful night of sleep is incredibly important in each and every one of our lives and can affect each of us in different ways. For instance, the amount of sleep that we get contributes to how good or bad we will feel the following day. Not getting enough sleep can lead to poor decisions, the possibility of getting into an accident due to lowered levels of alertness and problems with job performance. Experts generally recommend getting between 7-9 hours of sleep per night; however, this number will vary slightly from person to person.

Additionally, sleep requirements vary over a human being’s life cylce. For instance, infants and babies require more sleep as well as naps, sleeping as much as 15-18 hours in a given setting. As we get older, we require less amounts of sleep. According to the NSF, planning your day so that you allow yourself enough time to sleep is essential to your overall well-being and quality of life. Recent research also suggests that sleep deprivation can play a significant role in the development of diabetes and aging as well as make it difficult to exercise, thus reducing the benefit of hormones that are released while you sleep.

Quality Over Quantity

“Going to bed at 9pm” doesn’t mean anything if you didn’t actually fall asleep until 12am. When it comes to sleeping, it is important to get good, quality sleep. Part of this is actually allowing yourself to fall asleep naturally and wake up naturally…without an alarm clock. Here are some tips for good sleep:

• avoid caffeine and nicotine close to bedtime.
• avoid alcohol, as this may lead to disrupted sleep.
• exercise regularly, but complete your workout at least 3 hours prior to bedtime
• establish a regular relaxing (not alerting) bedtime routine each night (ex: a warm bath)
• turn your bedroom into a place that is sleep-conducive (ex: dark, quiet and preferably cool)

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Tags: Health and Wellness //