This week, the National Sleep Foundation released its annual Sleep in America poll. Unfortunately, the results are anything but surprising. As expected, most Americans aren’t getting enough sleep. Only about 40% of us report getting a good night’s sleep on “most nights”. Think about that. Really. Think about what that means for our health and well being.
Sleep is a basic human need. Our bodies require sleep in order to perform optimally. Sleep deficit has been linked to everything from an increased risk of obesity and diabetes to elevated risk of high blood pressure and heart attacks. Sleep deficit contributes to poor school and job performance, and sleepy drivers are more dangerous than drunk drivers.
And yet, we continue to skimp on sleep. 100 years ago, the average adult got over 10 hours of sleep per night. Now it’s below 7. And we are paying the price in increased rates of all sorts of diseases. So please – GET MORE SLEEP!
