In this Issue:
- Message from the President
- Longer Work Days Leave Americans Nodding Off On the Job
- Quanta Dynamics’ Newest Podcast: Major Causes of Sleep Problems and Using Non-Prescription Sleep Aids
Message from the President
Every year the National Sleep Foundation, (www.sleepfoundation.org), conducts a Sleep in America poll. This year’s national survey targeted employed adult Americans working at least 30 hours per week. The survey was conducted using telephone interviews from a random sample of 1000 Americans, and it yielded some interesting results. In this newsletter we are providing highlights from the 2008 Sleep in America poll’s Executive Summary. If you would like further information concerning the survey, please visit the National Sleep Foundation’s website.
Sincerely,
Mary O’Sullivan
President
Longer Work Days Leave Americans Nodding Off On the Job
Sleepy Americans Doze Off At Work, In the Car and On Their Spouses
According to a new NSF Sleep in America poll, “nearly 50 million Americans chronically suffer from sleep problems and disorders that affect their careers, their personal relationships and safety on our roads,” said Darrel Drobnich, NSF acting chief executive officer. “Longer workdays and more access to colleagues and the workplace through the Internet and other technology appear to be causing Americans to get less sleep. Reciprocally, the effects of sleep loss on work performance are costing U.S. employers tens of billions of dollars a year in lost productivity.”
Spending an average of nearly 4.5 hours each week doing additional work from home
on top of a 9.5 hour average workday, Americans are working more and are trying to cope with the resulting daytime sleepiness.
- 63% state they are very likely to just accept their sleepiness and keep going
- 32% are very likely to use caffeinated beverages when they are sleepy during the day
- 54% are at least somewhat likely to use their weekends to try to catch up on sleep
Sleep Loss Takes a Toll on Respondents Personal & Professional Lives
The poll finds:
- 29% fell asleep or became very sleepy at work in the past month
- 36% have nodded off or fallen asleep while driving; 32% reported they drive drowsy at least 1 to 2 times per month, and 26% drive drowsy during the workday
- 20% have sex less often or have lost interest in sex because they are too sleepy
- 14% have missed family events, work functions and leisure activities in the past month due to sleepiness
- 12% were late to work in the past month because of sleepiness
Poor Sleep Quality Affects Work Performance
When Americans are not getting the sleep they need, it can affect their ability to perform well during the workday. More than one-fourth (28%) of those polled say that daytime sleepiness interferes with their daily activities at least a few days each month. Even though on average people say they need to get 7 hours and 18 minutes of sleep per night to be at their best during the next workday, they report only getting an average of 6 hours and 40 minutes of sleep per night on weekdays.
When Americans do go to sleep, they do not sleep long enough nor soundly enough, and these sleep problems may even be affecting the sleep quality of their bed partner.
- Nearly a third (32%) of those surveyed day they only get a good night?s sleep a few nights per week
- 65% report experiencing a sleep problem, such as difficulty falling asleep or waking during the night
- Nearly half (49%) of those polled say they wake up feeling unrefreshed in the morning or were awake a lot during the night
- 7% of respondents say they use sleep aids – such as alcohol or prescription/over-the-counter sleep medications – at least a few nights each week
- One third (33%) say they snore at least a few nights per week, with 26% saying they snore almost every night
Long Workday Affects the Time We Sleep
The American workday is getting longer and taking work home at the end of the day has become commonplace. One fourth of the respondents have a workday that lasts between 8 and 9 hours, another fourth say that they work between 9 and 10 hours each day, and nearly a third report working 10 or more hours each day. They also report spending an average of 4 hours and 28 minutes doing work from home each week, and 20 percent saying they spend 10 or more hours per week doing extra work at home.
“With Americans working such long hours – on top of their other responsibilities like childcare and household maintenance – ‘something has to give.’ Unfortunately, that ‘something’ is usually nighttime sleep,” stated Drobnich. “When work and daily activities demand so much of our time, sleep is often sacrificed. People tend to give up sleep, when getting a good night’s sleep should be at the top of everyone’s list to ensure maximum daytime performance both at work and home.”
Quanta Dynamics’ Newest Podcast: Major Causes of Sleep Problems and Using Non-Prescription Sleep Aids
This podcast follows our previous presentation, “Using Prescription Sleep Medications.” Once again our guest speaker is Kathryn Hansen, Director of St. Joseph Health System Sleep and Wellness Centers, Lexington, KY, and the Executive Director of the Kentucky Sleep Society.
During the podcast she addresses some of the most common reasons for sleep
problems: family history, medicines, lifestyle habits, sleep habits, family
patterns, stress, emotional issues and sleep disorders. In addition, she discusses
using over-the-counter sleep aids, such as Benedryl, Excedrin PM, Melatonin,
Valerian, and Sominex.
The podcast can be accessed on our website
homepage or on iTunes.
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